What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition where people don’t produce enough insulin to meet their body’s needs and/or their cells don’t respond properly to insulin. Insulin is important because it moves glucose, a simple sugar, into the body’s cells from the blood. It also has a number of other effects on metabolism.
The food that people eat provides the body with glucose, which is used by the cells as a source of energy. If insulin isn’t available or doesn’t work correctly to move glucose from the blood into cells, glucose will stay in the blood. High blood glucose levels are toxic and cells that don’t get glucose are lacking the fuel they need.
There are two main kinds of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. More than 90% of all people with diabetes have type 2. Overall, about 30 million people in North America have diabetes. Only about two-thirds of people with type 2 diabetes are aware of it and are receiving treatment because, for many people, early symptoms are not noticeable without testing.
For more information on Diabetes, you can download the Living Healthy with Diabetes brochure.
Certified Diabetes Educator
A Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) is a health care professional who is specialized and certified to teach people with diabetes how to manage their condition.
The CDE is an invaluable asset to those who need to learn the tools and skills necessary to control their blood sugar and avoid long-term complications due to hyperglycemia. Unlike an endocrinologist, the CDE can spend as much time with a newly diagnosed person as is needed both for educational purposes and emotional support.
At Ingleside Pharmacy, Bryan Haley can help you with all your questions and needs.
Canadian Diabetes Association
Ingleside Pharmacy is an active supporter of the Canadian Diabetes Association’s mission. We support their mission is to lead the fight against diabetes by helping people with diabetes live healthy lives while we work to find a cure.
In-store Resources
In addition to offering the services of our Certified Diabetes Educator, we also have a small library of books and articles that can be borrowed. We also carry a wide selection of supplies to help you manage your diabetes better.
