Diabetes Specialist

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting your metabolic system. The condition causes your blood sugar, or glucose, levels to remain high, which can damage your health.

You get glucose from the foods you eat and your body metabolizes that sugar, converting it to the energy you need to function optimally. The hormone insulin helps convert sugar to energy. When you have diabetes, your body isn’t able to properly convert sugar.

In Type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t make insulin necessary to keep sugar levels at a healthy level. In Type 2 diabetes, you don’t make enough insulin or your body doesn’t use the insulin it produces properly.

Another condition known as prediabetes causes your blood sugar levels to remains high, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. If you have untreated prediabetes, you are at increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

What are the common symptoms of diabetes?

Increased blood sugar levels can result in a number of symptoms that can worsen when diabetes remains untreated. Symptoms include:

• Blurry vision
• Chronic fatigue
• Mood changes
• Frequent urination
• Increased thirst and hunger

Many with diabetes also find that open wounds and sores are slow to heal. Men can experience erectile dysfunction, while women can develop more frequent urinary tract and yeast infections.

Because these symptoms are common with other health issues, it’s important to seek a medical evaluation.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

Type 1 diabetes is often diagnosed in childhood but can develop in adults. In Type 2 diabetes, you can develop the condition at any time, especially if you’re considered at risk for the condition due to a family history of the disease, being overweight, or because of a poor diet.

To determine if you have diabetes, the staff at PrimeCare Medical Center offer in-office blood testing to evaluate your glucose levels.

What diabetes treatments are available?

If you’re a Type 1 diabetic, you need daily insulin therapy to keep blood sugar levels well-controlled.

For Type 2 diabetes, you can make changes to your diet and lifestyle to lower blood sugar levels naturally. If a healthy diet and physical exercise aren’t enough to control your blood sugar, you might also need to take oral medications.

Regular blood sugar testing at home is important for controlling your disease effectively.

Schedule a diabetes evaluation today online or by phone to prevent long-term health complications.