Insulin is a hormone that's made by your pancreas. The purpose of insulin is to help your body move glucose into cells for energy.
When your pancreas cannot produce enough insulin or fails to function properly, your blood sugar (glucose) level can rise — leading to diabetes .
If you are diagnosed with diabetes, you may need insulin treatment to help you control your blood sugar (glucose) level.
Some food in the stomach breaks down into sugars. One of these sugars, glucose, is the body's main source of energy.5
Sugar enters the bloodstream, raising blood sugar (glucose) levels.5
When the body senses an increase in blood sugar (glucose), it sends a signal to the pancreas.5
The pancreas makes insulin and sends it into the bloodstream.5
Insulin lowers blood sugar (glucose) levels by acting as a key that enables sugar in the bloodstream to enter cells.5
The level of blood sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream falls as it enters into the cells.5
The cells use sugar (glucose) for fuel.5
With a logbook8, you can keep track of your blood sugar (glucose) levels according to the schedule recommended by your doctor.
Just write down what you ate, when you ate, how much you ate, and when you exercised. Then work with your doctor to understand how food and physical activity can make your blood sugar (glucose) levels go up or down.
By sharing it with your doctor, you can get a better understanding of what lifestyle choices increase and decrease your blood sugar (glucose) levels.
Congratulations! You should now have a better understanding of diabetes, the importance of insulin, and how to track your blood sugar (glucose) levels.
Type 2 diabetes can be challenging to manage, but it's important to stay motivated and do your best to adhere to your insulin treatment — you can do it!
Don't forget to check out the Starting Insulin, Low Blood Sugar and Living With Diabetes sections to get the basic knowledge you need for a successful insulin treatment journey.