What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?  Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile-onset diabetes, is an autoimmune disease in which the body makes little or no insulin.  People with type 1 diabetes are required to take insulin in order to avoid ketoacidosis and death.  Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder which is typically diagnosed in people over the age of 30. Most people with type 2 are also overweight. It is a disease of insulin resistance. People with type 2 diabetes may control their blood sugars with diet, exercise, oral medication or insulin if needed.

What are the signs of diabetes?  People with type 1 diabetes usually present with significant weight loss, increased thirst, and increased urination, very high blood sugars, and sometimes ketoacidosis. People with type 2 diabetes often have no symptoms at all or may notice fatigue, increased thirst and increased urination.

Why is HbA1c important?  An HbA1c is a blood test used to determine a person's average blood sugar over the previous 2-3 months. It gives a good indication of overall blood sugar control. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends HbA1c testing be done at least twice a year in patients who are meeting treatment goals and more frequently (quarterly) in patients whose therapy has changed or who are not reaching treatment goals. The ADA recommends keeping your A1C under 7.0%.

What are the risk factors for diabetes?  Risk factors for diabetes include: family history, age, sex, obesity, and ethnic background. (Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians all have a greater incidence of diabetes compared to Caucasians).

What is a good blood sugar level?  Recent guidelines say that when taken fasting or before meals, your blood sugar should be between 70-130 mg/dl. Two hours after a meal, it should be less than 180 mg/dl. Before bedtime, your blood sugar should be between 100-140 mg/dl. However, check with your healthcare provider as specific goals may be different for select individuals.  

Do I have to check my blood sugars?  Anyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes needs to monitor their blood sugar. Monitoring is a tool to determine the effectiveness of therapy or the need to adjust medication. We recommend if you are taking an oral hypoglycemic agent, you should check your blood sugars twice a day, 2 to 3 times a week. If you take insulin, the number of times you should check depends on when and how much insulin you take. You may check your blood sugar only twice or up to 5 times a day. Check with your physician or diabetes educator to determine the right number for you.

What can I eat?  To help control blood sugars everyone with diabetes needs to monitor their carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrate foods include, sugars, fruits, grains, starches and milk. The total amount of carbohydrate you eat at a meal determines how high your blood sugar will go after a meal. Women generally need between 45-60 gms of carbohydrate at meals, men can go up to 60-75 gms at a meal. You may find some carbohydrate foods effect your blood sugars worse than others and you may not want to eat them as often. For more information on carbohydrate counting, sign up for our carbohydrate counting class.

 

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