Diabetes Care

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body converts sugar from your diet into the energy you need to sustain life. A healthy body produces the hormone insulin to help with the conversion process. When you have diabetes, you can’t make or use insulin properly, resulting in chronically high sugar levels.

The types of diabetes include:

Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes develops when your body can’t produce insulin to convert sugar due to dysfunction in your pancreas, possibly caused by genetics or environmental factors. A type 1 diagnosis most often occurs in childhood.

Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes results when your body produces insulin, but not enough to control blood sugar levels. This variant of diabetes also occurs when your body cannot adequately use the insulin it creates. Type 2 diabetes is often the result of a sedentary lifestyle and a poor diet and commonly affects those who are overweight or obese.

Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes affects women during their pregnancy and often resolves after childbirth. However, it increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Pre-diabetes is a condition where your blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Being pre-diabetic increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
When blood sugar levels remain high because of uncontrolled diabetes, you are at increased risk for long-term health complications, including heart disease and permanent nerve damage.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

Diabetes symptoms vary depending on the level of high blood sugar levels. Some people, especially those with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, may not experience any symptoms.

Patients with Diabetes type 1 tend to have quick and more severe symptoms.

Here are some of the signs and symptoms of diabetes:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Extreme hunger
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Blurred vision
• Slow healing wounds
• Frequent infections

Screenings identify diabetes in the earliest stages, so you can receive the treatment you need as soon as possible. 

Diabetes Treatments 

If you have type 1 diabetes, you will need daily insulin therapy to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range. We will prescribe and monitor your use of diabetic medication and focus on preventive care to reduce your risk of long-term health complications.

Treating type 2 diabetes often starts with lifestyle changes, such as eating a low-sugar, low-fat diet and daily exercise. By maintaining a healthy weight and staying active, you may lower your blood sugar levels naturally. You can also make these changes if you have pre-diabetes to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Lifestyle changes aren’t always enough to control blood sugar. In some cases, medications may be prescribed.