Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes affects your body’s ability to regulate your blood's glucose (sugar) levels. You need glucose to fuel your muscles and provide your brain with energy. However, if you can’t keep glucose at the right level, you could eventually suffer severe health problems such as:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
• Kidney damage
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Hearing problems
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Diabetic foot ulcers

Diabetes develops because of a problem with insulin production. Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas that keeps your blood glucose at optimal levels.

Are there different kinds of diabetes?

The main forms of diabetes are:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. A flaw in your immune system makes it attack and destroy the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas as it would target invading bacteria or viruses. Type 1 diabetes is unpreventable and incurable.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes develops when your body becomes resistant to insulin. It typically results from being overweight or obese, having a high-fat, high-sugar diet, and not exercising enough. Type 2 diabetes is more common after middle age, but the increase in childhood obesity rates mean more young people now get Type 2 diabetes.

Some women develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, affecting the baby’s growth rate. Gestational diabetes typically goes away after you have your baby, but it increases your risk of having Type 2 diabetes in later life.

How is diabetes treated?

The aim of treating diabetes is to manage your blood glucose levels, so you don’t get dangerous dips and spikes. Lifestyle changes are vital, especially for Type 2 diabetes. Your provider at Integrative Family Medicine and Urgent Care can advise you on making these changes, which could include:

• Losing weight
• Getting more exercise
• Cutting down on unhealthy fats
• Avoiding sugary foods
• Quitting smoking

People with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day. If you have Type 2 diabetes, you might be able to manage it with lifestyle changes, or your provider at Integrative Family Medicine and Urgent Care may prescribe a drug like metformin that helps regulate blood glucose. Severe Type 2 diabetes would also require daily insulin.

To find out more and get expert diagnosis and treatment for diabetes, call Integrative Family Medicine and Urgent Care today or book an appointment online.