What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which leads over time to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces.
There are three main types of diabetes: type 1 (born with it), type 2 (diabetes develops often due to health choices or diet), and gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant – and usually disappears after birth).
With diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should, often requiring strict diet management and/or need for regular insulin injections.
Signs and Symptoms
Often, there are no symptoms. However, if you have any of the following diabetes symptoms, see your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested:
- Urinate (pee) a lot, often at night.
- Are very thirsty.
- Lose weight without trying.
- Are very hungry.
- Have blurry vision.
- Have numb or tingling hands or feet.
- Feel very tired.
- Have very dry skin.
What causes Diabetes?
The cause of diabetes varies by the type of diabetes. But no matter what type of diabetes you have, it can lead to excess sugar in the blood and requires careful diet control. Too much sugar in the blood can lead to serious health problems.
Treatment
There isn’t a cure yet for diabetes, but losing weight, eating healthy food, and being active can really help.
For further diabetes information and resources to help you make treatment decisions, visit:
- Diabetes NZ – www.diabetes.org.nz
- www.facebook.com/diabetesnz
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