Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition in which your body does not properly process food to use as energy. When you eat food, your body turns most of it into glucose, a sugar that fuels the body. Your pancreas then makes the hormone insulin which helps the glucose get into the cells in your body.

When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin.

There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is when your body doesn’t produce any insulin. Type 2 is when your body doesn’t react as it should and fails to make enough insulin.

Gestational diabetes occurs in some pregnant women, and often symptoms go away once the baby is born.

What causes diabetes?

Diabetes occurs when your body does not produce enough, or any, insulin. With type 1 diabetes, your body attacks the pancreas and prevents it from making insulin, which classifies this as an autoimmune disease.

While it’s not clear what specifically causes type 2, there are certain factors that can put people at higher risk of developing diabetes.

Risk factors include:

• Being overweight or obese
• Are over age 45
• A family history of diabetes
• Leading a sedentary lifestyle

How is diabetes diagnosed?

Your practitioner at Evia Medical Center conducts blood tests to check your blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c levels. The results of these tests help your practitioner diagnose what type of diabetes you may have and develop the best course of treatment.

How is diabetes treated?

You can manage your diabetes through the use of a care plan. This plan includes leading a healthy lifestyle and following a dietary program, insulin injections, and other medications. Your practitioner at Evia Medical Center creates a custom diabetes management plan for you based on your specific needs.

What are symptoms of diabetes?

Symptoms of diabetes include:

• Extreme thirst or hunger
• Mood swings (type 1)
• Fatigue
• Rapid weight loss
• Frequent urination

What can diabetes cause?

When left untreated, diabetes can lead to other health issues in addition to impacting your insulin production. It can also cause:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Liver or kidney damage
• Nerve damage

What can I do to help prevent diabetes?

To lower your risk of developing diabetes:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Make physical activity a part of your daily life
• Manage stress properly
• Get the appropriate amount of sleep

To assess your risk of diabetes or to get help managing your diabetes diagnosis, contact Evia Medical Center today.