So what is diabetes?

There are two forms of diabetes - type 1 and type 2.

• Type 1 diabetes is caused by a problem with the body's immune system. In a healthy body, specialized cells (called beta cells) in the pancreas make insulin. Insulin is a hormone that enables the body to use energy from food. With type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakes the beta cells as invaders and attacks them. When enough beta cells are destroyed, the beta cells in the pancreas are no longer able to produce insulin and the symptoms of diabetes appear.
• With type 2 diabetes, the beta cells still produce insulin; however, the body's cells do not respond properly to the insulin or the insulin produced naturally is not enough to meet the needs of the body.

Taking good care of your diabetes is important. How you care for your diabetes affects what happens later on. You may not think it's that big a deal if your blood glucose is a little high. You may feel just fine, but hyperglycemia is a strain on your body and it can cause problems (i.e., complications) later. We at EDCC believe that with the proper care and maintenance, complications (e.g., blindness and kidney failure) can be avoided.

The keys to good care are

• good nutrition,
• exercise, and
• medication (if necessary).

These are all important parts to staying healthy for a long time. We at EDCC would be happy to help you with these keys to your care.

For additional information, check out the following related website links.