What is diabetes?

Often diabetes doesn't cause symptoms. If it does, you may feel very thirsty or very hungry. You may also urinate more often than usual, have blurry vision, or lose weight without trying. These symptoms are caused by high blood sugar. In type 1 diabetes, symptoms may develop quickly, over a few days to weeks.

There are many differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. But in both types of diabetes, blood sugar levels get too high. This increases the risk for complications, such as blindness and kidney failure. For both diseases, treatment focuses on keeping blood sugar levels within a target range to help prevent long-term complications.

Diabetes treatment focuses on keeping your blood sugar levels in your target range. For type 1 diabetes, that involves taking insulin, eating healthy foods, and getting regular exercise. For type 2 diabetes, medicines may be prescribed, along with following a healthy meal plan, exercising, and losing weight if you need to.

Doctors use blood tests and follow guidelines from experts to diagnose diabetes. You will be diagnosed with diabetes if you meet one of the following criteria:

• You have symptoms of diabetes and a blood sugar level equal to or greater than 200 mg/dL on a random blood sugar test. Symptoms include increased thirst, increased urination, and unexplained weight loss.
• Your fasting blood sugar level is equal to or greater than 126 mg/dL.
• Your 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) result is equal to or greater than 200 mg/dL.
• Your hemoglobin A1c test result is 6.5% or higher.

Two tests are used to confirm the diagnosis of diabetes.

You may be diagnosed with prediabetes if your blood sugar is above normal but not high enough to be diabetes. Ask your doctor how often you need to be tested.

Health professionals who may be involved in your diabetes care include:

• A family medicine physician or a general practitioner.
• An internist.
• A pediatrician.
• A nurse practitioner (NP) or a physician assistant (PA).
• A certified diabetes educator (CDE).
• A registered dietitian (RD). They can help make a daily plan for you or your child and your family.
• An endocrinologist or pediatric endocrinologist.
• A psychologist. This doctor can help with emotional or family issues that might affect you or your child's treatment.
• An exercise specialist. They can help you and your family plan a program of regular physical activity.

If you have signs of complications of diabetes, such as nerve problems or kidney problems, you may be referred to a specialist.

It can be hard to stay motivated to manage your diabetes well. These ideas may help.

Focus on the positive.

Give yourself credit for the things you do now to manage your diabetes. They can make a big difference in your quality of life now and in the future.

Help yourself succeed.

Set short-term, healthy goals that you can reach. Celebrate success with nonfood rewards, like a movie night.

Get support.

Surround yourself with people who encourage and motivate you. This could be friends, family, an exercise buddy, or an organized diabetes support group. Keep in touch with your doctors.

Keep the disease in perspective.

Remember that diabetes is a part of your life, but it doesn't have to take over your life.

When you have a busy or stressful schedule, it can be hard to find time to exercise, eat right, and care for yourself. This can affect your blood sugar. So even if you're busy, it's important to fit in time for things like blood sugar checks, medicines, and maintaining healthy habits.

Here are some ideas.

Plan for a healthy lifestyle.

Plan your meals and lunches each week. Keep healthy snacks with you. Try fitting in some short walks every day.

Remember your medicines and supplies.

Try putting supplies, like your blood sugar meter or medicines, in a small bag you can keep with you.

Plan for travel.

Take extra medicine, healthy snacks, and all your supplies. Try to eat and take your medicine as close to your regular schedule as you can.

Plan for schedule changes.

If you know you'll have changes in your schedule, make a plan for how to deal with them.

Walking, running, bike riding, and swimming are great for most people with diabetes. But some activities may not be safe. Before you start a new exercise program, talk to your doctor about how and when to exercise. Your doctor can tell you what types of exercise are good choices for you.

Surgery can be stressful for both your child and you. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for your child's surgery.

Preparing for surgery

• Check your child's blood sugar often in the hours before the surgery.
• You will get exact instructions about when your child should stop eating before the surgery. It's important for your child to have an empty stomach before surgery. But this can also lead to low blood sugar.
• Understand exactly what surgery is planned, along with the risks, benefits, and other options.
• Tell the doctors ALL the medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies your child takes. Some of these can increase the risk of bleeding or interact with anesthesia. Your doctor will tell you which medicines your child should take or stop before the procedure.
• Remember to follow your doctor's instructions about your child taking or stopping medicines before surgery. This includes over-the-counter medicines.

When you're sick, your body releases hormones to fight infection. But these hormones raise blood sugar. They also make it harder for insulin to lower blood sugar. When you have diabetes, even a minor illness can lead to very high blood sugar. This may cause a dangerous problem, like diabetic ketoacidosis.

It can be helpful to see a diabetes educator at certain points in your care. He or she can:

• Get you started when you're first diagnosed with diabetes.
• Check in once a year for a review of your health and daily routine.
• Show you how to handle a new health problem along with your diabetes.
• Help you work with a new health care team.

Diabetes is a condition in which sugar stays in the blood instead of entering the body's cells, where it can be used for energy. This results in high blood sugar. Over time, high blood sugar can harm many parts of the body. The most common types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2.

Taking care of yourself

• Keep your blood sugar at a target level (which you set with your doctor).
• Exercise regularly to improve your strength, muscle tone, and balance. Walk if you can. Swimming may be a good choice if you cannot walk easily.
• Have your vision checked as often as your doctor recommends. It is usually once a year or more often if you have eye problems.
• Know the side effects of the medicines you take. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether the medicines you take can affect your balance. Sleeping pills or sedatives can affect your balance.
• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Alcohol can impair your balance and other senses.
• Have your doctor check your feet during each visit. If you have a foot problem, see your doctor.

Preventing falls at home

• Remove raised doorway thresholds, throw rugs, and clutter. Repair loose carpet or raised areas in the floor.
• Move furniture and electrical cords to keep them out of walking paths.
• Use nonskid floor wax, and wipe up spills right away, especially on ceramic tile floors.
• If you use a walker or cane, put rubber tips on it. If you use crutches, clean the bottoms of them regularly with an abrasive pad, such as steel wool.
• Keep your house well lit, especially stairways, porches, and outside walkways. Use night-lights in areas such as hallways and bathrooms. Add extra light switches or use remote switches (such as switches that go on or off when you clap your hands) to make it easier to turn lights on if you have to get up during the night.
• Install sturdy handrails on stairways. Put grab bars near your shower, bathtub, and toilet.
• Store household items where you can reach them. Bending down or reaching up can cause falls. If you have to reach, use a reaching device that you can get at a medical supply store. If you have to climb for something, use a step stool with handrails, or ask someone to get it for you.
• Keep a cordless phone and a flashlight with new batteries by your bed. If possible, put a phone in each of the main rooms of your house, or carry a cell phone in case you fall and cannot reach a phone. Or you can wear a device around your neck or wrist. You push a button that sends a signal for help.
• Wear low-heeled shoes that fit well and give your feet good support. Use footwear with nonskid soles. Check the heels and soles of your shoes for wear. Repair or replace worn heels or soles.
• Do not wear socks without shoes on wood floors.
• Walk on the grass when the sidewalks are slippery. If you live in an area that gets snow and ice in the winter, sprinkle salt on slippery steps and sidewalks.

Experts don't fully know how diabetes affects the heart and blood vessels. Many things can lead to a heart attack or stroke. These things include high blood sugar, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Lifestyle and genetics may also play a part.

• Brush your teeth twice a day.
• Floss daily. Make sure to press the floss against your teeth and not your gums.
• Check each day for areas where your gums might be red or painful. Be sure to let your dentist know of any sores in your mouth.
• See your dentist regularly for professional cleaning of your teeth and to look for gum problems. Many dentists recommend getting checkups twice a year. Remind your dentist that you have diabetes before any work is done.
• Don't smoke or use smokeless tobacco. Tobacco use with diabetes can lead to a greater risk of severe gum disease. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.

• Learn to estimate the serving sizes of foods that have carbohydrate. If you measure food at home, it will be easier to estimate the amount in a serving of restaurant food.
• If the meal you order has too much carbohydrate (such as potatoes, corn, or baked beans), ask to have a low-carbohydrate food instead. Ask for a salad or non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, or peppers.
• If you eat more carbohydrate at a meal than you had planned, take a walk or do other exercise. This will help lower your blood sugar.