What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood sugar, also called high blood sugar or bad sugar, is too high. Blood sugar is your main source of strength and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps sugar from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough—or any—insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Sugar then stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells.
Over time, having too much sugar in your blood can cause health problems. Though diabetes has no cure, you can take steps to manage your diabetes and stay healthy.
Find more info here:
Diabetes Care: Take Action to Handle Diabetes
What is Diabetes Self-Care?
- Self-care is a key skill that will help you throughout your life and involves setting goals and handling your time.
- Changes in food and how you live life have been shown to help with taking care of diabetes.
- Diabetes Self-Care Training Programs, also known as DSME, can help you handle your diabetes, stop problems, and take control of diabetes symptoms such as being tired, pain, and low spirits.
- DSME is a program covered by Medicare and many health plans. The District of Columbia offers many DSME classes across all wards. Select here to find the closest DSME class near you.
What are some life actions you can do RIGHT NOW to help you handle diabetes?
Be sure to talk to your health care expert before starting a life change program or making changes in your workout routine or food.
Click on a life action to learn more:
Diabetes Programs in Washington DC:
