According to the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Mellitus, simply referred to as diabetes, has become an epidemic. The condition affects about twenty-one million Americans! Unfortunately, more than 30% of that twenty-one million are undiagnosed and don’t realize they have it.

Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot produce enough insulin or is unable to utilize it effectively, termed insulin resistance. Insulin allows the body to use glucose (AKA blood sugar) for energy or to store it for later use. In absence of adequate insulin, or insulin resistance, glucose levels build up to higher than normal levels in the blood. This is called hyperglycemia.

Common symptoms include frequent urination, increased thirst, and blurred vision. Over time, this excess of sugar in the blood can lead to a multitude of chronic health conditions, such as blindness, nerve damage, unintended weight loss, and kidney failure.

Hypoglycemia is defined as lower than normal blood glucose levels. Causes of hypoglycemia are inadequate carbohydrate intake combined with blood glucose-lowering medication or insulin treatment, excessive exercise, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. The most prevalent symptoms are shakiness, irritability, hunger, anxiety, and sweating. Severe hypoglycemia can lead to seizures, comas, and in rare cases, death.

Diabetes can be diagnosed with simple blood testing. The physician will check the hemoglobin A1C, which measures glycemic control over the past 3 months, or fasting blood sugars. Another test, less frequently used, is the oral glucose tolerance test. For this test, the individual fasts for 8 hours, then
drinks a beverage loaded with sugar. Two hours later, the blood glucose level is read.