What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic (long-term) medical condition that affects how the body converts food into energy. Our bodies break down most of the food we eat into sugar (glucose) and release it into the bloodstream. When blood sugar rises, it signals the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin acts as the key to taking blood sugar into the body’s cells to use it as energy. In diabetes, the body cannot make or use enough insulin. When you don’t have enough insulin or your cells become unresponsive to insulin, excess blood sugar remains in your bloodstream. Over time, this can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease. There is no cure for diabetes yet, but weight loss, healthy eating and exercise can really help.

At Allied Pharmacy, we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that each patient receives the best possible care.

Other things you can do to help:

• Take prescribed medicines.
• Get training and support on diabetes self-management. Arranging and maintaining medical appointments.
• diabetes in numbers
• More than 37 million American adults have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of them doesn’t know he has diabetes.
• Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of renal failure, limb amputation and blindness in adults.
• Over the past 20 years, the number of adults with diabetes has more than doubled. type of diabetes
• There are three main types of diabetes:

Type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy).

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction (where the body mistakenly attacks itself). This response prevents your body from producing insulin. About 5-10% of diabetics have her type 1 diabetes. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often progress rapidly. It is usually diagnosed in children, adolescents, and young adults. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin daily to survive. Currently, no one knows how to prevent type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes

In type 2 diabetes, the body cannot use enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels at normal levels. About 90-95% of diabetics are his type 2. It develops over many years and is most commonly diagnosed in adults (but is becoming more common in children, adolescents, and young adults). However, later in life she is at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Babies are more likely to become obese as children or teenagers and later develop type 2 diabetes.  It is important to test blood sugar levels in some cases. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by making healthy lifestyle choices such as:

• lose weight;
• Eat healthy food.
• Be active.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women who have never had diabetes. Gestational diabetes can put your baby at an increased risk of health problems. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born. However, later in life she is at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Babies are more likely to become obese as children or teenagers and later develop type 2 diabetes.

Prediabetes

In the United States, 96 million adults (more than 1 in 3) have prediabetes. More than 8 out of 10 people don’t know they are infected. In prediabetes, blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not enough to make a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Pre-diabetes increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. But there is good news. If you have prediabetes, a CDC-approved lifestyle modification program can help you take healthy steps to improve your diabetes.

Living with Diabetes

Find education, support and resources to improve the quality of life for people with diabetes. Learn how to manage diabetes to prevent or delay health complications through healthy eating, physical activity, and managing diabetes on sick days, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress and mental health increase.