What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body uses the sugar it gets from your diet. In a healthy body, the insulin hormone helps convert sugar into the energy you need to function. When you have diabetes, this process is dysfunctional.
There are four main types of diabetes:
Type 1
With Type 1 diabetes, the body doesn’t make insulin to convert sugar to energy, allowing sugar levels in the blood to remain consistently high. This condition is usually identified in childhood and requires long-term care to properly manage it.
Type 2
With Type 2 diabetes, the body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t properly use the insulin it makes to regulate blood sugar levels. This type of diabetes typically develops because of poor diet, obesity, and lack of exercise.
Prediabetes
Prediabetes is a condition where your blood sugar levels are elevated but not high enough to be considered Type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels increase during pregnancy. In many cases, this type of diabetes resolves on its own after childbirth.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
In the early stages of diabetes, you may not have any symptoms at all. If your condition remains untreated, you may experience symptoms like:
- Blurry vision
- Chronic fatigue
- Dry, itchy skin
- Unexplained weight loss
- Excessive hunger and thirst
- Slow-healing open wounds
Because uncontrolled diabetes can cause nerve damage, you may experience tingling or numbness in your fingers and toes. Without treatment, diabetes can lead to heart disease and other serious health complications.
To determine if you have diabetes or prediabetes, or are at risk for the disease, your Marion Physician Associates provider runs a simple blood test to evaluate your blood sugar levels.
How is diabetes treated?
If you have Type 1 diabetes, you need daily insulin to control your blood sugar levels. The team at Marion Physician Associates can also provide resources to help you test your blood sugar several times a day at home and carefully monitor your overall health through routine checkups.
For Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, your initial treatment may involve changes to your diet, physical activity levels, and lifestyle to help you maintain a healthy weight. If these changes aren’t enough, you may also need to take medications to control sugar levels and regularly check your blood at home.
To learn more about the comprehensive diabetes management services available at Marion Physician Associates, P.A., call the office nearest you or book an appointment online today.
