Diabetes Management

Helping You Maintain a Healthy Life with Diabetes

People diagnosed with diabetes have trouble using glucose for energy and experience high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is a chronic condition that can result in major health problems if left untreated.

Common symptoms that indicate you may have diabetes include:

• Tiredness or lack of energy
• Frequent urination
• Frequently feeling hungry or thirsty
• Unexplained weight loss
• Injuries such as cuts and bruises take a long time to heal
• Numbness or tingling in fingers or toes

Diabetes can affect anyone, but you are more susceptible if you are overweight, over the age of 40, do not exercise, or have a family history of diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes

The exact cause of Type 1 Diabetes is unknown, though we do know that it is not caused by eating too much sugar.

Type 1 diabetes can be diagnosed by simple blood tests that check for a high level of glucose in your blood. Glucose tests may need to be repeated in order to confirm the diagnosis.

Type 2 Diabetes

People of all backgrounds can get diabetes. More often, though, it affects African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders. Other factors that increase risk include:

• A family history of diabetes
• Being overweight
• Being over age 40
• Having had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy)
• Not enough physical activity

Common questions often asked by patients with Type 2 Diabetes include:

• Do you feel tired all the time?
• Do you urinate often?
• Do you feel thirsty or hungry all the time?
• Are you losing weight for no reason?
• Do cuts and bruises heal slowly?
• Do you have numbness or tingling in your fingers or toes?

If so, see your health care provider.

Diabetes Treatment

Diabetes can be treated by a variety of medications. Some medications can be swallowed while others have to be injected. Some medications, such as insulin, can be taken in more than one way.

• Oral medications (pills)
• Injections (shots given using a syringe or pen-like devices)
• Insulin pumps (devices that can deliver a steady amount of insulin 24 hours a day