Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes causes sugar, or glucose, to build up in your blood. The two forms of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 is where your body doesn’t make insulin, the hormone that moves sugar from the blood into the cells to be used as energy. Type 2 occurs when your body doesn’t use insulin properly to maintain your blood sugar levels.

Type 2 is the most common form, while Type 1 typically occurs in children. Even though diabetes can lead to serious health problems, with the right care you can still enjoy a good quality of life with diabetes.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Both kinds of diabetes produce some of the same warning signs. Here are the typical symptoms:

• Urinating often
• Feeling very hungry or thirsty
• Overwhelming tiredness
• Blurry eyesight
• Cuts or bruises that are slow to heal
• Losing weight all the sudden when you’re eating normally (Type 1)
• Pain, tingling, or numbness in your hands (Type 2)

In certain cases, the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are so mild that you might not notice a change in your health.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

A variety of tests that measure your blood sugar level are used to diagnose diabetes. Your practitioner at Family Care Specialists Medical Group can recommend one of these tests for you:

• A1C: measures your average blood sugar for the past 2-3 months
• Fasting plasma glucose: checks your blood sugar level after fasting for at least eight hours
• Oral glucose tolerance: involves testing your blood sugar level before and two hours after drinking a specific sweet drink

Typically, your provider will ask you to repeat a test to confirm the diagnosis.

How is diabetes treated?

Your practitioner sits down with you to discuss the right steps to manage your condition. Family Care Specialists Medical Group offers nutrition counseling and other services to help improve your health.

You’ll want to take steps to:

• Plan healthy meals
• Get regular exercise
• Regularly monitor your blood sugar level

If your blood sugar level drops too low, it interferes with your ability to think and function normally. If it rises too high and remains there, it can cause serious damage to your health over the long term.

Your practitioner will prescribe medications, particularly if you have Type 1 diabetes. With Type 1, your body doesn’t make insulin, so you’ll need insulin shots or medication to provide what your body is missing.

Take a positive step for your lasting health today with expert care for diabetes. Call Family Care Specialists Medical Group to book a consultation today.