What Is Diabetic?

A diabetic is a person whose pancreas does not function normally.  It allows the sugar in the blood to go to an abnormally high level or it can drop to an abnormally low level.  A person who is a diabetic can regulate his blood sugar by diet, pills, or shots.  Some people are able to control their blood sugar by diet only, some must use a combination of diet pills and/or shots.  The diabetic will check his sugar level several times a day with a device called a monitor. Generally, he pricks his finger and allows one drop of blood to get on the monitor strip and it then will give a blood sugar reading.

Diabetes happens when your pancreas does not secrete insulin or does not secrete enough insulin.  Insulin lowers your blood sugar (glucose) levels.  Depending on if you are a type one or type two diabetic.  Type one is also known as insulin dependent.  Type two is also known as non-insulin dependent.  Normally a type one diabetic does not produce any insulin because of a defect in the beta cells of the pancreas.  Two two diabetics can control their blood sugar levels by diet, exercise, and sometimes pills.  
Also, diabetes could be caused by a defect in alpha cells secreting too much glucagon (which converts to glucose aka. Sugar) or a defect in the insulin receptor sites (your body will not respond to insulin and blood sugar will not be lowered).