Type 1 is the type of diabetes most people develop before the age of 30. All people with type 1 must take insulin, because their bodies do not make enough of it.

Insulin helps your body to turn food into energy and is the key that unlocks cell walls to let sugar enter your cells.

Type 2 is the type of diabetes many adults develop after the age of 40, but it can develop at a younger age. For some people with type 2, glucose (sugar) levels can be controlled through healthy eating and the right amount of physical exercise. If these treatments do not work, you may have to take diabetes pills to lower your blood glucose, and possibly insulin if your body is not making enough.

It’s important to remember that diabetes medicines that lower blood glucose never take the place of healthy eating and exercise. Also, if your blood glucose gets too low more than a few times in a few days, call your doctor. And, finally, even if you don’t feel well, take your diabetes pills and/or insulin as prescribed, and if you can’t eat much, let your doctor know right away.