![Empty lecture room.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/classroom.jpg)
DIABETES 101
Learn about the basics of diabetes from the most reliable
source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
What is Diabetes?
![Empty lecture room.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/classroom.jpg)
![Woman participating in an online meeting.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/meeting.jpg)
Risk Factors
![A smiling family.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/family.jpg)
- Family history: Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 1 diabetes.
- Age: You can get type 1 diabetes at any age, but it’s more likely to develop when you’re a child, teen, or young adult.
- Race/ethnicity: In the United States, whites are more likely to develop type 1 diabetes than African Americans and Hispanic/Latino Americans.
![A smiling family with the grandfather in focus.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/familyTwo.jpg)
- Have prediabetes
- Are overweight
- Are 45 years or older
- Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
- Are physically active less than 3 times a week
- Have ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
- Are African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, or Alaska Native (some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are also at higher risk)
![Overweight man measuring his belly.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/overweight.jpg)
- Are overweight
- Are 45 years or older
- Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
- Are physically active less than 3 times a week
- Have ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
- Are African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, or Alaska Native (some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are also at higher risk)
![Pregnant woman holding her belly.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/pregnant.jpg)
- Had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy
- Have given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
- Are overweight
- Are more than 25 years old
- Have a family history of type 2 diabetes
- Have a hormone disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Are African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander
Symptoms
![Woman drinking water from a glass.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/thirsty.jpg)
- Urinate (pee) a lot, often at night
- Are very thirsty
- Lose weight without trying
- Are very hungry
- Have blurry vision
- Have numb or tingling hands or feet
- Feel very tired
- Have very dry skin
- Have sores that heal slowly
- Have more infections than usual
![Pregnant woman holding her belly in pain.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/pain.jpg)
Prediabetes
![Traffic light on yellow.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/trafficLight.jpg)
![Diagram of insulin in the body.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/insulin.jpg)
![Man jogging down the street.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/jogging.jpg)
Type 1 Diabetes
![Dice-like cubes spelling 'DIABETES TYPE 1'.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/typeOne.jpg)
![Father talking to his son.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/heritage.jpg)
![Woman holding an insulin pen against her stomach.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/pen.jpg)
Type 2 Diabetes
![Dice-like cubes spelling 'DIABETES TYPE 2'.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/typeTwo.jpg)
![Man and woman in close conversation.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/couple.jpg)
![Diabetes educator working with patient.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/educator.jpg)
- Develop a healthy eating and activity plan
- Test your blood sugar and keep a record of the results
- Recognize the signs of high or low blood sugar and what to do about it
- If needed, give yourself insulin by syringe, pen, or pump
- Monitor your feet, skin, and eyes to catch problems early
- Buy diabetes supplies and store them properly
- Manage stress and deal with daily diabetes care
![Girl looking down as a girl in background sneers at her.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/child.jpg)
- Drinking more water and fewer sugary drinks
- Eating more fruits and vegetables
- Making favorite foods healthier
- Making physical activity more fun
Gestational
![Woman smiling at her pregnant belly.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/pregnantTwo.jpg)
![Doctor holding a stethoscope against a pregnant stomach.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/listening.jpg)
- Being very large (9 pounds or more), which can make delivery more difficult
- Being born early, which can cause breathing and other problems
- Having low blood sugar
- Developing type 2 diabetes later in life
![Mother hugging her baby.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/hug.jpg)
Diabetes Tests
![Pencil held above a multiple-choice test.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/test.jpg)
![Blood sugar test.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/blood.jpg)
- If your doctor thinks you have type 1 diabetes, your blood may also tested for autoantibodies that are often present in type 1 diabetes.
- You may have your urine tested for ketones, which also indicate type 1 diabetes
![Assortment of glucose drinks.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/education/glucose.jpg)
STOP THE PROGRESS
COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETES
Graphic displaying long and short term diabetes complications.
Do more...
prevention
TESTIMONIAL: US SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW
![Testimonial screenshot from Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan.](/diabetes-awareness-and-action/media/testimonials/dstabenow.png)
“It was exciting to learn about the success of your recent "Diabetes Awareness And Action" project and your efforts to expand the program through the Lions International Foundation.”