This article describes the 7 principles of good diabetes care. These principles, or steps, will help you manage your diabetes and live a long and active life. Every person who has diabetes has different needs. Talk to your health care team about a treatment plan that is best for you. Diabetes affects almost every part of the body and good diabetes care requires a team of health care providers. They include doctors, diabetes educators, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, mental health workers, eye specialists, foot specialists, dentists, and social workers.

It Is Important to Control Diabetes

Taking good care of diabetes will make you feel better and can lower your chances of getting

heart disease
stroke
eye disease that can lead to a loss of vision or even blindness
nerve damage that may cause a loss of feeling or pain in the hands, feet, legs, or other parts of the body and lead to problems such as lower limb amputation or erectile dysfunction
kidney failure
gum disease and loss of teeth

Principle 1: Learn as Much as You Can About Diabetes

The more you know about diabetes, the better you can work with your health care team to manage your disease and reduce your risk for problems. You should know what type of diabetes you have. If you do not know, ask your doctor whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes. People who have type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day. This type of diabetes is less common and used to be called juvenile diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes. Diet and daily physical activity help to control type 2 diabetes. Most people also need to take diabetes pills or insulin. Type 2 diabetes is very common and used to be called adult onset diabetes.

Diabetes is always a serious disease. Terms that suggest that diabetes is not serious, such as “a touch of diabetes,” “mild diabetes,” and “sugar’s a little high,” are not correct and should no longer be used.

Many People Who Have Diabetes
Do Not Know It

Finding and treating diabetes early can prevent health problems later on. Many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms and do not know they have diabetes. Some people are at higher risk for diabetes than others. People at high risk include those who

are older than 45
are overweight
have a close family member such as a parent, a brother, or a sister who has or has had diabetes
had diabetes during pregnancy
had a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds
are African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American or Pacific Islander, or American Indian
have high blood pressure
have high cholesterol or other abnormal blood fats
are inactive