1. What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease that prevents the body from properly using the energy from the food you eat

2. Diabetes
It is the seventh leading cause of death by disease in the U.S.
Each day about 2,220 new cases are diagnosed.
There are about 16 million Americans affected with this disease.

3. Diabetes can lead to: Blindness Kidney disease Nerve disease
Amputations
Heart disease
Stroke

4. Diabetes occurs:
When the pancreas produces little insulin, no insulin, or the insulin doesn’t work.
Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use sugar (glucose)

5. Why is Insulin Important? (read only)
When you eat or drink, much of the food is broken into simple sugar called glucose. Glucose provides the body with energy.
Glucose in the bloodstream cannot go into the cells by itself. The pancreas releases a substance called insulin into the blood to help let glucose into the cells for energy.
When glucose enters your cells, the level of glucose in your bloodstream decreases. Without insulin, glucose cannot get into the body’s cells for use as energy. This increases the levels of glucose in your blood. Too much glucose in the blood is called “high blood sugar” or “diabetes”.

6. Types of Diabetes Type 1 Type 2 Gestational
Type 1 diabetics must use insulin injections. Occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin. This causes blood glucose to rise.
Type 2
Type 2 is most common in people over 40 who are overweight. People with Type 2 produce insulin, but not enough. Some people can manage it by controlling their weight, watching their diet and exercising. Some may need oral medications or insulin injections.
Gestational
Occurs when a woman is pregnant. Hormone changes during pregnancy can cause high blood glucose. After childbirth, the glucose levels usually return to normal.

7. What are the Symptoms of Diabetes?
Increased thirst
Increased hunger
Dry mouth
Increased urination
Unexplained weight loss
Fatigue
Blurred vision
Numbness or tingling of the hands or feet
Loss of consciousness (rare)

8. Risk Factors for Diabetes
Family History – parent or sibling with the disease is a risk
Race or ethnic background – increase in Hispanics, African-Americans, Native Americans and Asians
Being overweight – 20% or more
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Abnormal blood cholesterol
Age – increases as you get older
Alcohol – heavy use is a risk
Smoking – use is a risk

9. What Does Not Cause Diabetes?
Eating sugar does not cause diabetes!

10. Taking Care of Diabetes
Eat healthy food
Foods high in sugar are dangerous.
Get regular exercise
This helps keep weight down, makes the insulin work better, and gives more energy.

11. Taking Care of Diabetes
Test the blood sugar levels
Diabetic needs to get a sample of blood daily for testing.

12. Taking Care of Diabetes
Take diabetes medicine
Pills or insulin shots must be taken daily. Shots are given by the diabetic.