- A1C: a test administered in order to see how well an individual's glucose levels have been controlled over the past three months.
- Acanthosis Nigricans: a condition of the skin involving darkened skin patches; this is common in people with diabetes who are not responding well to the insulin that the pancreas is producing.
- Acute: refers to something that happens suddenly, and only for a short time.
- Adult-Onset Diabetes: the former term for Type 2 Diabetes.
- Antibodies: proteins that are made from and protect the body from substances including bacteria or viruses; some people develop Type 1 Diabetes when their bodies produce antibodies that destroy the body's insulin-making cells.
- ARB (Angiotensin Receptor Blocker): a medicine taken orally to lower blood pressure.
- Aspart Insulin: a fast-acting insulin that begins to lower blood glucose levels within 10 to 20 minutes; the effect is strongest between 1 and 3 hours after initial injection, but continues to work for 3 to 5 hours after injection.
- Aspartame: a sweetener with nearly zero calories and no nutritional value.
- Basal Rate: a steady drip of low levels of longer-acting insulin.
- Beta Cell: cells within the pancreas that make insulin.
- Blood Glucose: this term, also referred to as blood sugar, comes from food and is carried throughout the blood, delivering energy to cells.
- Blood Glucose Level: the amount of glucose in a certain amount of blood, usually measured in milligrams in a deciliter.
- Blood Glucose Meter: a small medical monitoring device used to check the levels of blood glucose in the body.
- Blood Glucose Monitoring: a simple blood test which is used to check the levels of glucose in the blood. A small drop of blood is taken by pricking the body, usually the finger; the blood is placed on a test strip, which has previously been placed in the meter, and the glucose levels are read.
- Blood Pressure: the force of blood that is exerted on the inner walls of blood vessels.
- Body Mass Index (BMI): a measurement used to evaluate an individual's body weight in relation to height; this is used to find out whether a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.
- Bolus: an extra amount of insulin that is taken in order to cover any expected rise in blood glucose levels; this is generally related to a snack or meal.
- Borderline Diabetes: formerly known as Type 2 Diabetes, or an impaired glucose tolerance.
- Brittle Diabetes: a term used when blood glucose levels drastically move often.
- Certified Diabetes Educator: this refers to a health care professional and expert in diabetes education who has met necessary requirements and who has passed a certification exam.
- Chronic: refers to something that is long-lasting; this is the opposite of “acute”.
- Combination Therapy: the use of various medications together in order to manage blood glucose levels in people with Type 2 Diabetes.
- Dawn Phenomenon: a rise in blood glucose levels during the early morning hours (generally 4am to 8am).
- Dextrose, also called Glucose: a simple blood sugar that serves as the main source of energy within the body.
- Diabetes Insipidus: refers to a condition by frequent and heavy urination, excessive thirst, and a feeling of weakness; blood glucose levels are normal; however, this condition can be caused by a defect in the pituitary gland or the kidney.
- Diabetes Mellitus: a condition that develops when the pancreas fails to produce adequate amounts of insulin and the body isn't able to use insulin to move glucose into the body's cells.
- Diabetic Diarrhea: refers to loose stools, fecal incontinence, or a combination in which an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine and neuropathy in the intestines develops; this can also result in constipation.
- Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA): an emergency condition involving extremely high blood glucose levels, often accompanying a severe lack of insulin; this results in the breakdown of body fat for energy and an accumulation of ketones in the blood and urine. Symptoms include nausea and vomiting, stomach pain, fruity breath odor, and rapid breathing; this condition could lead to coma or death.
- Diabetic Myelopathy: damage to the spinal cord, sometimes found in individuals with diabetes.
- Diabetic Retinopathy: an eye disease that develops when small blood vessels of the eye's retina swell and leak liquid into the retina, blurring an individual's vision; this can lead to blindness.
- Diabetogenic: to cause diabetes.
- Diabetologist: a doctor specializing in the treatment of people with diabetes.
- Dialysis: the process of artificially cleaning wastes from the blood.
- Endocrine Gland: a group of cells that release hormones into the blood; the islets in the pancreas secrete insulin and are referred to as endocrine glands.
- Endocrinologist: a doctor specializing in the treatment of people with endocrine gland problems, such as diabetes.
- Euglycemia: normal blood glucose levels.
- Fructose: a naturally-occurring sugar in fruits and honey.
- Gestational Diabetes: a type of diabetes that some women develop during pregnancy; this type generally subsides after the birth of the baby, but many who had developed this type of diabetes have an increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes later on in life.
- Glucagon: a hormone injected into a person with diabetes in order to raise a person's blood glucose levels.
- Glucose: blood sugar that serves to bring energy to the body's cells.
- Hyperglycemia: also referred to as high blood glucose, an occurrence when glucose levels of the blood are too high; some symptoms include weight loss, thirstiness, and frequent urination.
- Hyperosmolar HyperGlycemic NonKetotic Syndrome: a condition generally caused by a sickness or illness that results in a dangerous rise of blood glucose levels; this condition can cause seizures, coma, or death.
- Hypoglycemia: a low level of blood sugars; this can lead to anything from dizziness to seizures.
- Insulin: a hormone produced in the pancreas that functions as an assistant in using glucose for energy.
- Ketoacidosis: this condition is usually caused by an illness, such as dehydration, or from taking inadequate amounts of insulin; the body begins to break down muscle and fat for energy, and ketones are released into the blood and urine.
- Ketones: a substance made by the body when there is an inadequate amount of insulin in the blood; an excessive amount of ketones may lead to serious illness, or even comas.
- Nephropathy: nerve damage caused by diabetes, usually in the hands or feet; however, major organs may also be affected.
- Pancreas: the body's organ that produces insulin, necessary in the conversion of glucose to energy.
- Type 1 Diabetes: a form of diabetes that is insulin-dependent and requires a life-long treatment; it occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce adequate amounts of insulin, preventing the body from converting blood glucose to energy.
- Type 2 Diabetes: a form of diabetes that is non-insulin-dependent; the body is unable to produce adequate amounts of insulin, or fails to properly use it to convert blood glucose to energy. This type of diabetes may be treated with oral medication; however, many individuals may eventually require insulin.
