Diabetes affects many different areas of the body.
With diabetes your body does not make enough insulin.
Insulin changes blood sugar into energy.
The pancreas gland produces insulin.
Diabetes attacks the cells that make insulin.
Without enough insulin, blood sugar or glucose builds up in your blood.
This can cause a variety of major health problems.
Diabetes causes more than 200,000 deaths each year.
Your Marshfield Clinic Endocrinologist diagnoses and treats diabetes.
Along with other members of your health team, they also treat complications of diabetes.
Types of Diabetes
Types of diabetes include:
Type 1 diabetes, which means you produce little or no insulin.
People with Type 1 must take insulin daily for the rest of their lives.
Type 2 diabetes, which means you produce some insulin, but not enough.
You can control the problem with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.
You may need insulin.
Gestational diabetes happens during pregnancy.
It usually goes away after delivery.
You can usually control it with diet and exercise.
Managing Diabetes
Managing diabetes begins with following your health care team's directions.
You can take an active part in managing diabetes:
