For more information

OR

To see if you qualify for our
Diabetes Education Program
contact:

one of our pharmacists at
(423) 926-6154

WILSON PHARMACY
525 N. State of Franklin Road, Johnson City, TN 37604
Telephone:   (423) 926-6154
Fax:   (423) 926-7965

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a lifelong disease. It occurs when the body cannot make enough insulin, or if your cells become resistant to the insulin that it is making. When you have diabetes, your body can't properly use the energy from the food you eat. The sugar builds up in the blood and cannot move in to the cells. Some of this sugar in the blood is filtered out by the kidneys and can be found in urine.

There are 2 types of diabetes:

Type 1 - When the body cannot make insulin or cannot make enough insulin. This type used to be known as insulin dependent or juvenile onset diabetes.

Type 2 - Insulin is made in the body, but the cells will not use it. Most people with diabetes have Type 2. This type used to be known as non-insulin dependent diabetes.

What should happen in your body when you eat?

1. Food breaks down into a form of sugar (glucose), the body's main fuel
2. This sugar enters the bloodstream and the level of sugar in your blood begins to rise
3. When an increase in blood sugar is sensed, your body sends a signal to your pancreas
4. The pancreas makes insulin and sends it to the bloodstream
5. Insulin lowers the level of blood sugar by letting sugar into the cells of your body
6. Your body's cells use the sugar for fuel

If it doesn't work…

In people who have diabetes, this system doesn't work. Sugar builds up in the bloodstream instead of going into the cells of the body. Your blood sugar level can even rise when you haven't eaten, if too little insulin is available. Without enough insulin to keep it in check, the body can make extra sugar and release it into the bloodstream. This can happen any time insulin is in short supply or is not able to do its job due to insulin resistance in the cells. It's more likely to happen when the body is under a stress, like sickness or injury.