Diabetes: Facts and Details

What is diabetes?

Diabetes means that your blood glucose (often called blood sugar) is too high. Your blood always has some glucose in it because your body needs glucose for energy to keep you going, but too much glucose in the blood can cause health problems.

How can I get diabetes?

Diabetes is caused by high blood glucose. Glucose comes from the food you eat, and is made in your liver and muscles. Glucose is carried to all of the cells in your body by your blood. Insulin, which is made by the pancreas, is released into your blood. This helps the glucose from food get into cells. If your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or if the insulin doesn’t work the way it should, glucose is unable to enter the cells and instead stays in your blood. Your blood glucose levels can then get too high, which can cause diabetes.

Are there different types of diabetes?

Yes. There are three main types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes:

This is usually first diagnosed in children, teenagers or young adults. In this form of diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas no longer make insulin because the body’s immune system has attacked and destroyed them.

Type 2 diabetes:

This is the most common form of diabetes. People can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. Type 2 diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition where fat, muscle and liver cells do not use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand for more insulin, but, it eventually loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals.

Gestational diabetes:

Some women develop this form of diabetes during the late stages of pregnancy because of hormones or the shortage of insulin. This form of diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born.

What are the signs of type 1 diabetes?

The signs of diabetes are: 

• Being very thirsty 
• Urinating often 
• Feeling very hungry or tired 
• Losing weight without trying 
• Extreme irritability

What are the signs of type 2 diabetes? 

• Any of the type 1 symptoms 
• Frequent infections 
• Blurred vision 
• Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet 
• Recurring skin, gum or bladder infections

Often people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms. If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor right away.

Who is at risk for getting diabetes?

Though it is not clearly defined, autoimmune, genetic and environmental factors are involved in developing type 1 diabetes.

The risk factors of type 2 diabetes include: 

• Older age (over 45) 
• Being overweight or obese 
• Family history of diabetes 
• Prior history of gestational diabetes 
• Impaired glucose tolerance 
• Physical inactivity 
• Race/ethnicity 
• Low HDL cholesterol or high triglycerides 
• High blood pressure

How is diabetes treated?

Type 1 diabetes is normally treated with insulin shots, a healthy diet, exercise, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.

Type 2 diabetes is treated with medications, a healthy diet, exercise, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.

Protect yourself by knowing your risk for diabetes.

Diabetes means your blood sugar (glucose) is too high. How would you know? Are you often thirsty, hungry, or tired? Do you urinate often? Do you have sores that heal slowly, tingling in your feet, or blurry eyesight? Even without these signs, you could still have diabetes. Diabetes is a serious disease. It can cause heart attack or stroke, blindness, kidney failure, or loss of feet or legs, but diabetes can be controlled.

Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test

1. How old are you?            
   Less than 40 years (0 points)
   40-49 years (1 point)
   50-59 years (2 points)
   60 years or older (3 points)
2. Are you a man or a woman?           
   Man (1 point)
   Woman (0 points)
3. If you are a woman, have you ever been diagnosed with gestational diabetes?          
   Yes (1 point)
   No (0 points)
4. Do you have a mother, father, sister or brother with diabetes?           
   Yes (1 point)
   No (0 points)
5. Have you ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure?           
   Yes (1 point)
   No (0 points)
6. Are you physically active?           
   Yes (0 points)
   No (1 point)
7. What is your weight status?              (See chart below for points)
   

   Height	Weight
   4'10"	less than 119lbs (0 points)	119-142lbs (1 point)	143-190lbs (2 points)	more than 190lbs (3 points)
   4'11"	less than 124lbs (0 points)	124-147lbs (1 point)	148-197lbs (2 points)	more than 197lbs (3 points)
   5'0"	less than 128lbs (0 points)	128-152lbs (1 point)	153-203lbs (2 points)	more than 203lbs (3 points)
   5'1"	less than 132lbs (0 points)	132-157lbs (1 point)	158-210lbs (2 points)	more than 210lbs (3 points)
   5'2"	less than 136lbs (0 points)	136-163lbs (1 point)	164-217lbs (2 points)	more than 217lbs (3 points)
   5'3"	less than 141lbs (0 points)	141-168lbs (1 point)	169-224lbs (2 points)	more than 224lbs (3 points)
   5'4"	less than 145lbs (0 points)	145-173lbs (1 point)	174-231lbs (2 points)	more than 231lbs (3 points)
   5'5"	less than 150lbs (0 points)	150-179lbs (1 point)	180-239lbs (2 points)	more than 239lbs (3 points)
   5'6"	less than 155lbs (0 points)	155-185lbs (1 point)	186-246lbs (2 points)	more than 246lbs (3 points)
   5'7"	less than 159lbs (0 points)	159-190lbs (1 point)	191-254lbs (2 points)	more than 254lbs (3 points)
   5'8"	less than 164lbs (0 points)	164-196lbs (1 point)	197-261lbs (2 points)	more than 261lbs (3 points)
   5'9"	less than 169lbs (0 points)	169-202lbs (1 point)	203-269lbs (2 points)	more than 269lbs (3 points)
   5'10"	less than 174lbs (0 points)	174-208lbs (1 point)	209-277lbs (2 points)	more than 277lbs (3 points)
   5'11"	less than 179lbs (0 points)	179-214lbs (1 point)	215-285lbs (2 points)	more than 285lbs (3 points)
   6'0"	less than 184lbs (0 points)	184-220lbs (1 point)	221-293lbs (2 points)	more than 293lbs (3 points)
   6'1"	less than 189lbs (0 points)	189-226lbs (1 point)	227-301lbs (2 points)	more than 301lbs (3 points)
   6'2"	less than 194lbs (0 points)	194-232lbs (1 point)	233-310lbs (2 points)	more than 310lbs (3 points)
   6'3"	less than 200lbs (0 points)	200-239lbs (1 point)	240-318lbs (2 points)	more than 318lbs (3 points)
   6'4"	less than 205lbs (0 points)	205-245lbs (1 point)	246-327lbs (2 points)	more than 327lbs (3 points)

8. Total Score:           
   

If you scored 5 or higher: You are at increased risk for having type 2 diabetes. However, only your doctor can tell for sure if you do have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes (a condition that precedes type 2 diabetes in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal). Talk to your doctor to see if additional testing is needed.

For more Information contact the Sedgwick County Health Department at 316-660-7300.