Oak Valley Health’s patient education pages share the skills, knowledge, and habits patients and families need to know to cope with a daily health issue. We hope this information can influence patient behaviour to improve health outcomes and provide you with a sense of control and autonomy.
Learn more about the risks, causes, and treatment of diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease where the body does not produce any insulin or is unable to use insulin effectively. When you have diabetes, sugars cannot get into your cells, and a buildup of sugar in the blood is called hyperglycemia.
Type 1 diabetes
Your pancreas does not produce any insulin
Type 2 diabetes
Related to one or both of the following:
Your pancreas does not produce enough insulin
Your body cannot properly use the insulin produced by your body
Gestational diabetes
Your pancreas does not produce enough insulin temporarily during pregnancy related to growing baby and hormone level changes
Type 1 diabetes
Your body’s immune system attacks the pancreas and destroys the cells that make insulin, known as an autoimmune disease in genetically predisposed individuals
Type 2 diabetes
Family history with type 2 diabetes
History of prediabetes
Other associated diseases and medications (talk with your family doctor)
High risk population:
Women who had gestational diabetes
African, Arab, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous, or South Asian descent
Low socioeconomic status
Feeling more thirsty
Having to urinate frequently
Changes in weight
Feeling tired and weak
Changes in vision
Having cuts or bruises that take a long time to heal
Numbness/tingling in your hands and feet
Connect with a Healthcare Team (family doctor, endocrinologist, diabetes educator, nurse, dietitian, pharmacist, social worker, or eye and foot care specialist).
Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
Your doctor will set treatment goals for you. Your blood sugar should be at these levels:
Before meals: –4.0-7.0mmol/L
After meals: 5.0-10 mmol/L
Gestational diabetes
Your doctor will set treatment goals for you. Your blood sugar should be at these levels:
