Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a group of diseases that affects the way your body produces or uses insulin, the hormone that helps your body convert your blood sugar into energy.

When your blood sugar levels are too high, it can damage your blood vessels and nerves, leading to a wide range of problems ranging from neuropathy and foot ulcers to blindness. 

There are three common types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes usually develops in childhood, which is why it’s sometimes called juvenile diabetes. It occurs when your pancreas stops making insulin. Medical researchers believe that type 1 diabetes is due to an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, also called insulin resistance, usually emerges in adulthood and develops when your body doesn’t use insulin correctly. While your genes contribute to your risk of type 2 diabetes, your lifestyle choices, including your diet and exercise habits, have a significant influence on your risk of developing the condition.

Gestational diabetes

Some women develop gestational diabetes during the second trimester of pregnancy. The placenta produces a hormone that interferes with the way you use insulin. In most cases, you can manage your condition with diet and exercise, and it goes away soon after your baby is born. However, having gestational diabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes later.

Millions of Americans also live with prediabetes, which is a warning sign of their risk for type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes occurs when you have elevated blood sugar levels that aren’t high enough to meet the diagnostic criteria for diabetes. Prediabetes is reversible, while type 2 diabetes is not.

What are the signs of diabetes?

Some of the common symptoms of diabetes include:

• Increased thirst and hunger
• Frequent urination
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Numbness in your hands and feet
• Sores that don’t heal
• Unexplained weight loss (type 1 only)

If you have type 1 diabetes, your symptoms usually emerge rapidly. However, you can have type 2 diabetes for years without having noticeable symptoms. Annual physicals at Mannam Medical & Wellness include screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, so you receive the care you need before problems arise.

How is diabetes treated?

The team at Mannam Medical & Wellness offers customized treatment plans to help you manage your condition. They provide nutritional counseling and suggestions to add physical activity to your daily routine. Even a 20-minute walk after a meal can help your body convert blood sugar more effectively. 

Your provider can also prescribe medication if you have type 1 diabetes or if you can’t control type 2 diabetes through lifestyle adjustments. You need to have regular blood tests so they can monitor your blood sugar levels and adjust your treatment as needed. 

Mannam Medical & Wellness offers SudoScan, which tests for neuropathy — a common side effect of diabetes. Your provider might also recommend that you have annual diabetic eye exams and to see a podiatrist for diabetic foot care. 

Call Mannam Medical & Wellness, or make an appointment online today, if you’re concerned about diabetes and are looking for expert medical care.