Diabetes Mellitus, or diabetes, is a disease caused when the body does not make enough insulin, or cannot use the insulin it makes. Normally, the pancreas, a gland in the body, produces insulin. Insulin drives blood glucose, or blood sugar, into body cells so they can do their job. The foods we eat often turn into glucose.

Fourteen to sixteen million Americans have diabetes. About six to seven million others may have the disease and not know it. Five to ten percent of the people with diabetes have Type I, or insulin dependent diabetes. In Type I diabetes the body stops making insulin. Type I diabetes usually occurs in children and young adults less than thirty years old. It develops quickly, sometimes within days.

When the body stops making enough insulin, glucose builds up in the blood instead of getting into the body cells. People just told they have diabetes have very high blood glucose levels. High blood glucose is called hyperglycemia. A person with hyperglycemia may have:
* increased thirst and hunger,
* frequent urination,
* weakness and fatigue,
* blurry vision, or
* unplanned weight loss.

Type I diabetes is controlled by taking insulin shots every day, carefully monitoring blood sugar levels, eating healthy foods, and exercising. A person with diabetes needs to work with their doctor to control their blood sugar. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause many problems such as heart or kidney disease, blindness, stroke, nerve damage, and poor blood flow. Keeping diabetes under control reduces your risk of these problems.

Call your doctor quickly if you or a family member begins to have the symptoms of diabetes. To learn more, call your local Diabetic Association, or call (800) 232-3472.

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