Also called: DM, Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from the foods you eat. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to give them energy. With type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. With type 2 diabetes, the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, the glucose stays in your blood. You can also have prediabetes. This means that your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Having prediabetes puts you at a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause serious problems. It can damage your eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to remove a limb. Pregnant women can also get diabetes, called gestational diabetes.

Blood tests can show if you have diabetes. One type of test, the A1C, can also check on how you are managing your diabetes. Exercise, weight control and sticking to your meal plan can help control your diabetes. You should also monitor your blood glucose level and take medicine if prescribed.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) is a form of diabetes that is often accompanied by hearing loss, especially of high tones. The diabetes in MIDD is characterized by high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) resulting from a shortage of the hormone insulin, which regulates the amount of sugar in the blood. In MIDD, the diabetes and hearing loss usually develop in mid-adulthood, although the age that they occur varies from childhood to late adulthood. Typically, hearing loss occurs before diabetes.Some people with MIDD develop an eye disorder called macular retinal dystrophy, which is characterized by colored patches in the light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye (the retina). This disorder does not usually cause vision problems in people with MIDD. Individuals with MIDD also may experience muscle cramps or weakness, particularly during exercise; heart problems; kidney disease; and constipation. Individuals with MIDD are often shorter than their peers.

Posted in

Get Testing Supplies from $8/Month

Glucose Meter

FDA-approved. Results in 4 seconds. Requires tiny 0.4 µL sample size.

Control Solution

Perfect tool to ensure test strips are providing accurate results.

Test Strips

Accurate test strips that support re-dosing.

Lancing Device

Five depth settings for maximum comfort

Lancets

Universal design that is compatible with most lancing devices.

Carrying Case

High-quality materials to store and protect testing supplies.