Diabetes is a condition that affects how your body handles blood sugar (also called glucose). The main fuel your body uses for energy.
How it normally works: When you eat, your body breaks food down into glucose, which enters your bloodstream. A hormone called insulin, made by your pancreas, helps move that glucose out of your blood and into your cells, where it's used for energy.
What goes wrong with diabetes: With diabetes, either your body doesn't make enough insulin, or it doesn't use insulin well. Either way, glucose builds up in your blood instead of moving into your cells. Over time, blood sugar that stays too high can damage the heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, and blood vessels.
Why it's often missed: In the early stages, high blood sugar frequently causes no symptoms at all. Which is exactly why screening matters, even if you feel completely fine.
The good news: Diabetes is one of the most manageable chronic conditions, especially when caught early. Simple, realistic lifestyle changes, the kind covered throughout this Education Center, genuinely lower risk and help people who already have diabetes stay healthy.