What is Diabetes?

We all need some sugar is our blood because sugar is needed for energy. But too much blood sugar could mean you have diabetes. Normally, your body breaks down food into sugar and sends it into your bloodstream. Next, your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin. Insulin keeps blood sugar in normal range by taking the sugar from your blood and putting it into your cells to be used for energy. For people with diabetes, they either don't make enough insulin or it doesn't work well.

The long-term effects of high blood sugar include: heart, eye, kidney, blood vessel, and nerve damage. These can cause serious health problems and death. Therefore, people with diabetes need to make sure that their blood sugar levels are as close to the normal range as possibe.