Diabetes is a condition in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or is not able to use insulin effectively by the cells. Insulin is a natural hormone produced by your body’s pancreas gland to control the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in your blood. As a result, if you have diabetes, the glucose in the blood (often called blood sugar) becomes very high. Learn more about the types, causes, signs, symptoms, tests, complications, and treatments for diabetes.

Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is a potentially dangerous condition that’s most common in people with diabetes. Hypoglycemia happens when your blood sugar drops to less than 70 mg/d. Learn more about the risk factors, signs, symptoms and what to do in an emergency situation.

Type 2 diabetes is one of three main types of diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes either cannot make enough insulin or are unable to effectively use the insulin in their bodies cell (or both). This leads to blood glucose levels that are very high. Approximately 90-95% of Americans with diabetes have this type. Learn more about the causes, signs, symptoms, tests, and treatments for type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, which means that your own body makes antibodies against the cells that are responsible for making insulin (these are the beta cells of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans). Eventually, your immune system destroys your own beta cells. Learn more about the causes, signs, symptoms, tests, and treatments for type 1 diabetes.

The My Diabetes Emergency Plan is a convenient checklist that contains all of the essential items those with diabetes need to have readily available in the event of an emergency. Learn how to prepare your diabetes emergency kit.