Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease caused by high blood sugar. Blood glucose, or blood sugar, is the main source of energy that your body uses from the food you eat. Your body is able to transfer glucose from food into your cells for energy thanks to insulin, a vital hormone created by the pancreas.

If your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or uses it ineffectively, glucose can build up in your blood, leading to high blood sugar. When left untreated, high blood sugar can cause serious health complications, including diabetes.

Are there different types of diabetes?

There are three main types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your body doesn’t produce any insulin. If you have type 1 diabetes, your immune system essentially attacks the cells in your pancreas that make insulin before it has a chance to be released. A serious disease, type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed during childhood or young adulthood and treated with regular insulin injections.

Type 2 diabetes

You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, though it’s most often seen in middle-aged adults. It typically occurs when your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use it effectively. 

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes happens to some women during pregnancy, but the disease typically subsides once you give birth. However, gestational diabetes does put you at a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

What causes diabetes?

Though type 1 diabetes is believed to be genetic or caused by environmental factors, type 2 diabetes can be prevented in many cases. Some of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes are:

• Obesity
• Genetics
• Lack of exercise
• Poor diet
• Age (ages 45 and older)
• High blood pressure
• Gestational diabetes
• Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol 
• Depression
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Certain medications and a family history of diabetes also increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Some common diabetes symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Increased hunger
• Blurred vision
• Frequent urination
• Increased thirst
• Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
• Weight loss or weight gain
• Sores that heal slowly

Though type 2 diabetes symptoms tend to develop gradually, symptoms of type 1 diabetes can come on slowly — often in a matter of weeks.

How is diabetes treated?

There are a variety of ways to treat diabetes, depending on the type you have. If you have type 1 diabetes, you will need to take insulin for life. Some common forms of insulin include:

• Rapid-acting insulin
• Long-acting insulin
• An insulin pump

Stomach enzymes can interfere with insulin, so you can’t take insulin orally. In most cases, Restoration Primary Care PLLC recommends using a syringe or an insulin pen.

Blood sugar monitoring is also an important factor in managing diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes, you may need to monitor your blood sugar less frequently than if you have type 1.

Some other common diabetes treatments include:

• Oral medications
• Improved diet
• Regular exercise (at least 150 minutes per week)
• Weight loss (for type 2 diabetes)
• Limiting tobacco and alcohol use
  

The office can design a personalized diabetes treatment plan that works for you. To learn more, call Restoration Primary Care PLLC, or schedule a visit online.