Understanding Diabetes: What Causes It, Who Is at Risk, and What to Do Next

Diabetes can develop quietly. A person may feel well while high blood sugar gradually damages the heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, and blood vessels.

That is why understanding diabetes—and getting tested when you are at risk—can protect your health and possibly save your life.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a long-term condition in which the level of glucose, or sugar, in the blood becomes too high.

Glucose provides energy for the body. A hormone called insulin helps move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells, where it can be used. Diabetes develops when the body does not produce enough insulin, cannot use insulin properly, or both.

The main types are:

Type 1 diabetes

The immune system mistakenly destroys the cells that produce insulin. People with type 1 diabetes need insulin to survive. It is not caused by eating too much sugar.

Type 2 diabetes

The body becomes resistant to insulin or does not produce enough of it. This is the most common type and may develop slowly over several years.

Gestational diabetes

This develops during pregnancy. It usually has no obvious symptoms and is found through routine testing.

What Causes Diabetes?

Diabetes does not have one single cause.

Type 1 diabetes is believed to result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors that trigger an immune reaction.

Type 2 diabetes is influenced by several factors, including family history, age, body weight, physical inactivity and how effectively the body uses insulin. It should not be treated as a personal failure. Some risk factors can be changed, while others cannot.

Frequently eating highly processed foods or sugary drinks may contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, but sugar alone is not the entire explanation.

Who Is at Greater Risk?

You may have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes if you:

Have a parent, brother or sister with diabetes
Have overweight or obesity
Are not regularly physically active
Have high blood pressure
Have previously been told you have prediabetes
Had diabetes during pregnancy
Are getting older
Have a history of heart disease or certain other health conditions

People of African, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous and Pacific Islander backgrounds may also have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Having one or more risk factors does not mean that diabetes is inevitable. It means testing and prevention should be taken seriously.

Warning Signs to Know

Possible symptoms of diabetes include:

Urinating more frequently
Feeling unusually thirsty or hungry
Unexplained weight loss
Constant tiredness
Blurred vision
Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
Wounds that heal slowly
Frequent urinary or yeast infections

However, many people with type 2 diabetes have few symptoms—or none at all. A person should not wait until they feel sick before checking their blood sugar.

What Should You Do Next?

Know Your Numbers

Ask a healthcare professional about a blood sugar test, especially if you have symptoms or risk factors. An A1C test estimates your average blood sugar over the previous two to three months. An A1C below 5.7% is generally considered normal, 5.7% to 6.4% indicates prediabetes, and 6.5% or higher may indicate diabetes. A healthcare professional should confirm and interpret the result.

Do Not Ignore Prediabetes

Prediabetes means blood sugar is above the normal range but not yet high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. It is an important warning sign. Healthy eating, regular physical activity and appropriate weight management can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes for many people.

Follow Your Treatment Plan

If you are diagnosed, take prescribed medication or insulin as directed. Attend follow-up appointments and ask how often your blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, kidneys, eyes and feet should be checked. Do not stop medication because you feel better, because someone recommends an unproven remedy, or because one blood sugar reading appears normal.

Build Healthier Family Habits

Choose more vegetables, beans, whole grains and minimally processed foods. Reduce sugary drinks, smoking and excessive alcohol. Make movement part of everyday life through walking, dancing, household activity or structured exercise. These habits benefit the entire family—not only the person with diabetes.

When Is It an Emergency?

Seek urgent medical help if a person with diabetes becomes confused, faints, has difficulty breathing, experiences repeated vomiting or develops fruity-smelling breath. These may be signs of a severe blood sugar emergency.

The Message Every Family Should Remember

Diabetes is serious, but it can be prevented in some cases and effectively managed in others.

Know your risk. Recognize the warning signs. Get tested. And when diabetes is diagnosed, begin proper care early.

Do not wait for complications to reveal a condition that a simple blood test could have found sooner.