The following describes diabetes. For specific information regarding your health and treatment options, please contact your Hurley physician or medical professional.

Understanding diabetes

Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (sugar) for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose enter our body’s cells. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or does not use its own insulin very well. This problem causes glucose (sugar) to build up in your blood.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

• Very thirsty
• Urinating a lot, often at night
• Blurry vision
• Feeling very tired much of the time
• Losing weight without trying
• Very dry skin
• Sores that are slow to heal
• More infections than usual
• Losing feeling or having a tingling feeling in your feet

What are the three main types of diabetes?

1. Type 1
10% of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes, which means that their bodies produce little or no insulin. People with type 1 diabetes often are very sick, must take insulin every day to live, and may require hospitalization.

2. Type 2
90% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which means that their bodies make insulin but the insulin doesn’t work the way that it should. 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. More and more children who are overweight are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Treatment for type 2 diabetes focuses on healthy eating, increasing physical activity, oral medications, and sometimes taking insulin.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes:

• A family history of diabetes
• Lack of exercise
• Weighing too much
• Being of African American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic/Latino, or Asian/Pacific Islander heritage
• Women who have had large babies
• Gestational diabetes

3. Gestational diabetes 
This type of diabetes develops in women when they are pregnant. Usually the mother’s blood sugar returns to normal after delivery. Having gestational diabetes puts these women at risk for type 2 diabetes as they get older.

How can I manage my diabetes?

• control your weight
• make healthy food choices
• follow a meal plan
• get regular physical activity
• take your diabetes medication, when ordered
• check your blood sugar regularly
• see your doctor regularly
• take part in Hurley’s diabetes education classes–learning what to do to help yourself is the way to manage your diabetes and stay healthy

Related health concerns

Diabetes can often lead to many other serious health problems, but the experts at Hurley Medical Center are ready to work with you to find solutions. If you have diabetes or think you are at risk of developing diabetes, click on the links below to learn how diabetes can affect many parts of your body.

• Ophthalmology: eye or eyesight problems
• Neurology: problems with the nervous system
• Podiatry: numbness or tingling in the feet
• Endocrinology: diseases of the endocrine glands
• Obstetrics: diabetes can affect pregnancy
• Stroke: linked to heart disease
• Cardiovascular: problems of the heart, blood vessels, and circulatory system
• Hypertension: high blood pressure
• Wound Clinic: if a wound is not healing

Take these tests to determine your risk of developing diabetes

• To take an interactive online quiz to determine your risk for diabetes, click here.

• To print out the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Risk Test to determine your risk for diabetes, click here for English or click here for Spanish.

Hurley offers three different Diabetes Education Programs:

1. Adult Diabetes Education Program at the Hurley Diabetes Center - (810) 262-2310
2. Diabetes During Pregnancy Education Program - (810) 262-9126
3. Pediatric Diabetes Education Program - (810) 262-6162 

For diabetes classes, click here.

For diabetes support groups, click here.

For a list of helpful resources, click here.