Diabetes Glossary

A

Autoimmunity (aw-toh-ih-MYOO-nih-tee): Your immune system fights infections and illnesses. It prevents you from getting sick, or, if you do, it helps you get better. It's called the immune system because it's not just one body part. It's a system of different organs, cells, and proteins known as antibodies. Together, they identify, attack, and destroy germs and other foreign substances. But sometimes the immune system makes a mistake and attacks part of the body. This is called autoimmunity. For example, in type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin.

top

B

Beta Cells (BAY-tuh sells): Beta cells make insulin, a hormone that controls the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood. Beta cells are found in the pancreas. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakenly destroys the beta cells. Without beta cells, the pancreas can't make insulin.

Bolus (BO-lus): You know that medicine needs to be taken in the right amount, or dose. For someone with diabetes, a bolus is a single, large dose of insulin that's taken to handle a rise in blood glucose (a type of sugar). A bolus is given as a shot or through an insulin pump.

top

C

Carbohydrate Counting (kar-bo-HI-drate KOWN-ting): Carbohydrates ("carbs") are found in food. Eating them increases blood sugar levels. That's why many people with diabetes count their carbohydrates to keep track of how much they're eating. Carb counting helps them select the right dose of insulin. The dose should match the amount of carbs a person eats so their blood sugar levels stay under control.

Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs) (SER-teh-fide dye-uh-BEE-tees ED-yoo-kay-ters): Do you need someone to help you understand diabetes? Try a certified diabetes educator. They know a lot about the illness. They also know how to teach people with diabetes to take care of themselves. Nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, doctors, social workers, or other professionals can be certified diabetes educators.

top

D

Diabetes (dye-uh-BEE-tees): Diabetes is a condition that happens when the body can't use glucose (a type of sugar) normally. Glucose comes from the carbohydrates we eat and is the main source of energy for all the cells in the body. A hormone called insulin (which is made in the pancreas) helps glucose get into the cells. In diabetes, either the pancreas does not make enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or the body can't respond normally to the insulin that is made (type 2 diabetes). In both types of diabetes, when glucose can’t get into the cells, the glucose level in the blood rises. Symptoms of diabetes include extreme thirst, the need to pee more than usual, and feeling tired often.

top

E

Endocrinologist (en-deh-krih-NOL-uh-jist): This type of doctor deals with hormones, those special chemical substances your body makes. Hormones make things happen all over the body, especially during puberty. Pediatric endocrinologists help kids with diabetes, growth problems, and more.

Exchange Meal Plan: People who have diabetes need to pay attention to what they eat. The exchange meal plan can help them do that. For this meal plan, foods are divided into 6 groups: starch, fruit, milk, fat, vegetable, and meat. The plan sets a serving size (amount) for each food, and within each group, each serving has a similar amount of calories, protein, carbs, and fat. The person can mix and match these foods and know what they're eating. Especially someone with diabetes needs to keep track of carbs because they cause blood sugar levels to rise after eating.

top

F

Fats: Like carbs and proteins, fats are one of the three main components of the food you eat. The body uses fat as a fuel source, and fat is the major storage form of energy in the body. Fat also has many other important functions in the body. You need some fat in your diet for good health, but too much fat or too much of the wrong type of fat can be unhealthy.

Fatty Acids: Like gas for a car, glucose is fuel for your cells. But if glucose isn't available, fatty acids may be used instead. Fatty acids are the building blocks of the fat in our bodies. They also can be found in the food we eat. When we digest fats, they are broken down into fatty acids. These fatty acids can then be absorbed into the blood.

top

G

Glucagon (GLOO-kuh-gon): Glucagon is a hormone that raises blood sugar (glucose). It is made in the pancreas. When blood sugars are low, glucagon tells the liver to send sugar into the blood, which goes to the cells for energy. When someone with diabetes has a very low blood sugar level, a dose of glucagon can help raise the blood glucose quickly.

Glucose (GLOO-kose): When you eat, your body turns the food into a sugar called glucose. Like gas for a car, glucose provides fuel for your cells. How does it get to the cells? It's carried to them by the bloodstream. The hormone insulin helps the glucose get to the cells, so it can be used for energy.

Glucose Level: Your blood glucose level (or blood sugar level) is the amount of glucose in your blood. The body gets glucose, a sugar, from the food we eat. Glucose is carried through the bloodstream to all the cells in the body. Like gas for a car, glucose is fuel for the body's cells and gives them energy.

Glucose Meter: A blood glucose meter is a small, portable machine that's used to check how much glucose (a type of sugar) is in the blood (also known as the blood glucose, or blood sugar, level). People who have diabetes often use a blood glucose meter to find out how they are doing.

Glycemic Index (gly-SEE-mik IN-deks): The body breaks down most carbs from the foods we eat and changes them to a type of sugar called glucose. Glucose is the main source of fuel for our cells. After we eat, the glucose from the food gets into the bloodstream fast, slow, or somewhere in between. It depends on the type of carb and the food that contains it. The glycemic index is a way of measuring how fast this happens and how a food affects blood glucose levels. Foods with higher index values raise blood sugar faster than foods with lower glycemic index values do.

top

H

Hyperglycemia (hi-per-gly-SEE-me-uh): Glucose (a type of sugar) is the body's main energy source. Hormones, such as insulin, control the level of glucose in the blood. It's unhealthy if a person's glucose levels get too high or too low. Hyperglycemia is when the levels get too high. This can happen to someone who has diabetes but doesn't know it yet. It also can happen to someone whose diabetes is not under control. Signs of hyperglycemia include peeing more than usual, being very thirsty, and unexplained weight loss.

Hypoglycemia (hi-po-gly-SEE-me-uh): Hypoglycemia is when the body's glucose levels get too low. Glucose (a type of sugar) is the body's main energy source. Hormones, such as insulin, control the level of glucose in the blood. It's unhealthy if a person's glucose levels get too high or too low. This can happen to people who have diabetes if they don't eat enough or take too much insulin, which lowers glucose levels. Signs of hypoglycemia include feeling hungry, shaky, sweaty, weak, drowsy, or dizzy. If it's not treated, hypoglycemia can even make someone faint or pass out.

top

I

Insulin (IN-suh-lin): People with diabetes have trouble with a hormone called insulin. Insulin, which is made in the pancreas, lowers the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood. It does this by helping glucose enter the body's cells. Glucose is the main source of energy for the cells. And because you're made up of cells, you want those cells to get the fuel they need!

Your body gets glucose from the food you eat, and it travels through the bloodstream. But without insulin, glucose can't get into the cells. In diabetes, the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or the body can't respond normally to the insulin that is made. This causes the glucose level in the blood to rise.

Insulin Injections (IN-suh-lin in-JEK-shuns): Insulin is an important hormone that keeps your body working. If the body doesn't make enough of this substance, a person might need to get insulin injections, or shots. There are many types of injectable insulin, both short- and long-acting. Most people with diabetes take insulin injections based on their blood glucose levels, according to a plan that they've worked out with their doctor.

Insulin Pump (IN-suh-lin pump): A person needs the hormone insulin so their body can work as it should. If the body doesn't make enough insulin, one way to get it is through an insulin pump. Some people with diabetes use this. The pump is a small battery-operated device that can be worn on a belt or put in a pocket. It's connected to a narrow plastic tube that's inserted just under the skin and taped in place. The pump can be programmed to deliver insulin throughout the day and to release extra insulin when needed, such as after eating.

Insulin Resistance (IN-suh-lin ree-ZIS-tents): Insulin resistance happens when the body doesn't respond to the hormone insulin as it should, making it hard for glucose to get into cells. Glucose comes from food and is the body's main source of energy. Normally, insulin helps glucose enter the cells. Insulin resistance can raise a person's risk for type 2 diabetes and other health problems.

Islet Cells (EYE-let sels): The pancreas contains clusters of cells that make hormones. These clusters are known as islets. There are several different types of cells in an islet. For example, alpha cells make the hormone glucagon. Beta cells make the hormone insulin.

top

K

Ketoacidosis (kee-toh-ah-sih-DOH-sis): Ketoacidosis is a condition that can happen to people with diabetes when the body uses fat instead of glucose for fuel. When fat is broken down, chemicals called ketones are made. They get into a person's blood and pee. High levels of ketones cause the blood to become more acidic. Symptoms of ketoacidosis include nausea, vomiting, belly pain, fast breathing, and, in severe cases, passing out. Someone with ketoacidosis needs emergency medical care.

Kidneys (KID-nees): The kidneys are a pair of organs on either side of your spine, just below the ribcage. They filter waste materials out of the blood. The waste passes out of your body as pee. Kidneys make important hormones and regulate blood pressure and the levels of water, salts, and minerals in the body. Kidney damage can happen in someone who has had diabetes for many years, especially if their diabetes isn't controlled.

top

N

Nephropathy (nih-FRAH-puh-thee): Having diabetes for many years can damage small blood vessels throughout a person's body. This can affect several organs, including the kidneys. It is more likely to happen if a person's diabetes isn't well controlled. Kidney disease caused by diabetes is called diabetic nephropathy.

Neuropathy (noo-RAH-puh-thee): Having diabetes for many years — especially if it's uncontrolled — can damage a person's nervous system. Neuropathy is the medical word for disease of the nervous system. When this is caused by diabetes, it's called diabetic neuropathy.

top

P

Pancreas (PAN-kree-us): The pancreas is a long, flat gland in your belly. It sits behind the stomach and makes enzymes that are important for digestion. It also makes insulin and glucagon, which help control the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood.

Polyphagia (pah-lee-FAY-zhuh): Someone with uncontrolled diabetes might feel really hungry and eat a lot. Polyphagia is the medical word for eating very large amounts of food. A person may feel extremely hungry because sugar is passing out of their body in pee instead of being used for energy. The person will eat a lot to make up for the lost calories.

Polyuria (pah-lee-YUR-ee-uh): Someone who has uncontrolled diabetes may urinate (pee) a lot. Polyuria is the medical word for this. This happens to people who have diabetes due to high blood sugar levels. The kidneys remove some of the extra sugar from the body. To do this, the kidneys make unusually large amounts of pee.

top

R

Retinopathy (reh-tin-AH-puh-thee): Having diabetes for many years — especially if it's uncontrolled — can damage an important part of the eye called the retina. The retina is important for vision. It's the lining of the back of the eye that senses light. Retinopathy is the medical word for disease of the retina. When it's caused by diabetes it's called diabetic retinopathy.

top