What's Diabetes?

Diabetes

Say: 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.