When you have diabetes, your body has trouble using a sugar called glucose for energy. The sugar level in your blood becomes too high. Diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) condition. It can cause serious health problems if you don't get treatment. Or it can cause life-threatening conditions, such as ketoacidosis.

Are any of these questions true for you? If yes, see your doctor.

• Do you feel tired all the time?
• Do you urinate often?
• Do you feel thirsty or hungry all the time?
• Are you losing weight for no reason?
• Do cuts and bruises heal slowly?
• Do you have numbness or tingling in your fingers or toes?
• Do you have blurry vision?

People of all backgrounds can get diabetes. But it more often affects:

• African Americans
• Alaskan Natives
• Native Americans
• Hispanics
• Asian Americans
• Pacific Islanders

Other things can raise your risk. They include:

• Having prediabetes
• Having a family history of diabetes
• Being overweight
• Being over age 35
• Having diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
• Not getting enough physical activity
• Taking certain medicines

Here's why having diabetes is a problem:

• Diabetes keeps your body from turning food into energy.
• It can cause problems with your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and feet. It can also harm your heart and blood vessels.
• Diabetes that is not under control can make it hard to live a healthy life.