Understanding Diabetes
Discussion Topics
• What is diabetes?
• Knowing your diabetes ABCs.
• Living well with diabetes.
• Routine care.
Learning About Diabetes
What is diabetes?
• Blood sugar (glucose) levels are higher than
normal.
• There is not enough insulin or the insulin in the
blood is not working correctly and so blood sugar
cannot get into the cells of the body to be used
as energy.
Learning About Diabetes
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes
• Being very thirsty.
• Urinating a lot—often at night.
• Having blurry vision from time-to-time.
• Feeling very tired much of the time.
• Losing weight without trying.
• Having very dry skin.
• Having sores that are slow to heal.
• Getting more infections than usual.
• Losing feeling or getting a tingling feeling in the feet.
Learning About Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes
• Your body does not make insulin.
• You need to take insulin every day in order to live.
• It is most commonly diagnosed in children and
young adults.
Learning About Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes
• Your body does not make or use insulin well.
• It is the most common form of diabetes.
• You may need to take pills, insulin, or sometimes
both.
• It is most often diagnosed in adults.
Learning About Diabetes
Gestational Diabetes
• It appears during pregnancy.
• It is associated with a higher risk
for type 2 diabetes later in life for
the mother and the child.
Learning About Diabetes
Take Diabetes Seriously
• Diabetes is serious, but you can learn to
manage it.
• It’s not easy to manage, but it’s worth it!
Why Take Care of Your Diabetes?
Taking care of yourself and your diabetes can help
you feel good today and in the future. When your
blood sugar is close to normal, you are likely to:
• Have more energy.
• Be less tired and thirsty.
• Need to urinate less often.
• Heal better.
• Have fewer skin or bladder infections.
Knowing Your Diabetes ABCs
A is for the A1C test.
B is for blood pressure.
C is for cholesterol.
s is for stopping smoking.
Knowing Your Diabetes ABCs
A is for the A1C test.
• This blood test measures your average blood
sugar level over the past 3 months.
• It is different from the blood sugar checks you do
each day.
• The A1C goal for many people with diabetes is
below 7. It may be different for you. Ask what your
goal should be.
• It should be tested at least twice each year.
Knowing Your Diabetes ABCs
B is for blood pressure.
• Blood pressure is the force of your blood against
the walls of your blood vessels.
• If your blood pressure is too high, it makes your
heart work too hard and can cause a heart
attack, stroke, and kidney disease.
• Your blood pressure should be below 140/90
unless your doctor helps you set a different goal.
Knowing Your Diabetes ABCs
C is for cholesterol.
• There are two kinds of cholesterol in your blood.
o LDL (“bad” cholesterol) clogs the blood vessels.
o HDL (“good” cholesterol) protects your heart.
• Ask what your cholesterol numbers should be if
you don’t know.
• If you are older than 40 years, you may need a
statin drug for heart health.
Knowing Your Diabetes ABCs
S is for stopping smoking.
• People with diabetes who smoke are more likely to
have serious health problems, including:
• Heart and kidney disease.
• Poor blood flow in the legs and feet that can lead to foot
infections, ulcers, and possible amputation of toes or feet.
• Retinopathy (an eye disease that can cause blindness).
• Peripheral neuropathy (damaged nerves in the arms and
legs that cause numbness, pain, and weakness)”.
Ask for help or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
Living Well with Diabetes
Learning How to Live with Diabetes
• Cope with the emotional aspects of your
diabetes.
• Eat well.
• Be active.
• Know what to do every day.
• Learn all you can about diabetes.
• Talk to your health care team.
Living Well with Diabetes
Learning How to Live with Diabetes
• Cope with the emotional aspects of your
diabetes.
• Eat well.
• Be active.
• Know what to do every day.
• Learn all you can about diabetes.
• Talk to your health care team.
Living Well with Diabetes
Learning How to Live with Diabetes
• Cope with the emotional aspects of your
diabetes.
• Eat well.
• Be active.
• Know what to do every day.
• Learn all you can about diabetes.
• Talk to your health care team.
Living Well with Diabetes
Learning How to Live with Diabetes
• Cope with the emotional aspects of your
diabetes.
• Eat well.
• Be active.
• Know what to do every day.
• Learn all you can about diabetes.
• Talk to your health care team.
Living Well with Diabetes
Learning How to Live with Diabetes
• Cope with the emotional aspects of your
diabetes.
• Eat well.
• Be active.
• Know what to do every day.
• Learn all you can about diabetes.
• Talk to your health care team.
Living Well with Diabetes
Learn all you can about diabetes.
Ask your doctor for a referral to a diabetes selfmanagement education program recognized or
accredited by the American Diabetes Association
(www.diabetes.org) or the American Association of
Diabetes Educators (www.diabeteseducator.org).
Living Well with Diabetes
Learning How to Live with Diabetes
• Cope with the emotional aspects of your
diabetes.
• Eat well.
• Be active.
• Know what to do every day.
• Learn all you can about diabetes.
• Talk to your health care team.
Living Well with Diabetes
Learning How to Live with Diabetes
•
Talk to your doctor about how you can best care for
your diabetes.
•
Others who can help include:
Living Well With Diabetes
www.diabetesatwork.org
For more information, call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
TTY 1-888-232-6348, or visit www.cdc.gov/info
To order resources, visit www.cdc.gov/diabetes/ndep