Diabetes
Get empowered.
Even small lifestyle changes can help you manage your diabetes.
Could I have diabetes without knowing it?
People often have diabetes long before any symptoms appear. If you have these symptoms, be sure to get checked for diabetes:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Weight fluctuations
- Fatigue
Learn more about the steps our doctors take to diagnose diabetes.
Tools for living with diabetes
- Read Cultivating Health(R) Managing Diabetes
- Read Living with Diabetes: Step by Step
- Explore diabetes care classes
- Understand making healthier food choices
- Learn how to use your OneTouch Verio Flex meter
- Learn how to use your OneTouch Ultra 2 meter
- American Diabetes Association
- Centers for Disease for Disease Control and Prevention: Diabetes
- American Association of Diabetes Educators tip sheets
Más información sobre la diabetes en español. Y, puedes leer Como vivir con diabetes: paso a paso
Types of diabetes:
Learn more about diabetes and how it can affect your body.
Diabetes Basics Class Handouts
Am I at risk for diabetes?
Diabetes can affect anyone, at any age. There are risk factors that make it more likely for some people, including:
- Being overweight
- A family history of diabetes
- A history of gestational diabetes
If you think you may be at risk, making certain lifestyle changes can help.
Learn more about steps you can take to help prevent diabetes.
How can I manage diabetes?
To keep your diabetes under control, it’s important to:
- Eat healthy
- Check out this meal-planning method
- Use Diabetes Food Hub to set goals, analyze foods, save recipes and menus, and more
- Try some recipes from Diabetes Forecast
- Please watch this fotonovela: Eat Well with Diabetes
- Por favor vea esta fotonovela: Coma bien con diabetes
- Calculate your BMI (body mass index)
- Get regular exercise
- Check your blood sugar
- Take care of your body and your mind
- Please watch this fotonovela: Help for Diabetes-related Depression
- Por favor vea esta fotonovela: Hay ayuda si tiene diabetes y esta deprimido
You can also talk with your doctor about whether medicine might help. Some people with diabetes use insulin:
- Please watch this fotonovela: Insulin Keeps You Healthy
- Por favor vea esta fotonovela: La insulina lo mantiene sano
- Watch this video on how to prepare and inject a single dose of insulin
- Watch this video on how to prepare and inject a mixed dose of insulin
Get a Diabetes Emergency Plan to help you prepare for natural disasters or other emergency situations.
Check out this video about “Three Things to Improve Your Diabetes.”
Create an action plan
Managing your diabetes is a lot easier when you create an action plan around your eating habits, exercise, and any medication you may be taking — even if it’s for a different condition. The more you know, the easier it will be to stay healthy.
Watch this video to learn about creating an action plan that’s right for you.
If I become pregnant, will it affect my diabetes? What about gestational diabetes?
It depends on the pregnancy. Some women can manage diabetes throughout their pregnancy with regular exercise and healthy food choices. Others may also need medication.
If you’re pregnant and managing diabetes, talk with your doctor to decide on the best treatment options for you.
Watch this video about diabetes and pregnancy.
How can Kaiser Permanente help me?
We offer helpful information and resources to help keep you healthy.
Kaiser Permanente members can get advice, encouragement, and tools at no charge with online wellness programs that help you create positive changes in your life.
For digital mental health and wellness tools, check out this page for Calm, myStrength, and Ginger apps. You also can call a health coach for subscriptions to Headspace, Whil, SilverCloud, Woebot, or Thrive. There is no charge.
For Northwest Region members, the Managing Diabetes and Insulin Information classes are very helpful.
Your prevention plan
Staying well by preventing or delaying disease is possible with health screenings and immunizations. Prevention plans can be tailored to every member of your family.
Learn more about preventive care.