Content Summary : Do You Have Diabetes? Millions of people have diabetes mellitus, commonly called diabetes. You may be surprised to know that many of these people don’t even know they have it. Diabetes is a serious disease and should not be ignored. If you have it, correct treatment can help you live a long and healthy life. What Is Diabetes? If you have diabetes, your body can’t make or use insulin. Insulin helps change sugar into energy to keep you alive. There are different kinds of diabetes. The main ones are type 1 and type 2. Controlling Diabetes Daily monitoring and careful control of blood sugar levels are the most important steps to take for people with diabetes. If not treated, diabetes can cause:• High blood sugar (which could make you thirsty, tired, lose weight, urinate often, or give you infections that won’t go away) • Many serious health problems (which could hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves, or heart). Warning: Low Blood Sugar People with diabetes may develop low blood sugar because their blood has too much insulin or other blood sugar-lowering medication or from not eating enough food. It is important to follow the eating and medication schedule your doctor has prescribed to avoid low blood sugar. Low blood sugar could make you shaky, dizzy, sweaty, hungry, have a headache, have pale skin color, have sudden mood or behavior changes, have clumsy or jerky movements, have difficulty paying attention, feel confused, or have tingling sensations around the mouth.