Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a common chronic disease and one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It’s characterized by high blood sugar due to a lack of insulin or the body’s inability to effectively use insulin. 

Diabetes stems from genetics, lifestyle habits, or combinations of factors. 

See Emily at Empowered Health and Wellness if you suspect you or a loved one has diabetes or needs help managing this disease.

Which symptoms can diabetes cause?

Diabetes can cause the following symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Increase thirst
• Dry mouth
• Frequent urination
• Slow-healing wounds
• Unplanned weight loss
• Frequent infections
• Numbness or tingling in your feet or hands

When not managed effectively, diabetes can lead to nerve damage, heart problems, kidney issues, skin infections, eye damage, foot problems, oral health issues, depression, and other health concerns.

What are the different types of diabetes?

Various forms of diabetes exist. 

Type 1 diabetes develops during childhood and affects the body’s ability to make insulin. 

Type 2 diabetes usually appears after age 40 because of carrying excess weight or unhealthy lifestyle habits. 

Prediabetes appears before Type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy in some women.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

Diagnosing diabetes and determining how well you’re managing the disease requires a discussion of your symptoms, medical history, and medications. You’ll also receive a physical exam, lab testing, heart function tests, nerve testing, and more. 

Emily customizes a treatment plan that provides long-term blood sugar control and maximizes your quality of life. 

How is diabetes treated?

Eamily helps you effectively manage diabetes by creating a personalized treatment that may include one or more of the following:

• Weight loss
• Diet and exercise changes
• Stress management
• Insulin injections
• Insulin pump
• Oral diabetes medications
• Blood sugar monitoring

Emily follows up periodically to ensure your diabetes treatment effectively controls your blood sugar. 

If you need help managing another chronic disease in addition to diabetes, such as high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, thyroid disease, a mental health disorder, or heart disease, Emily can help. 

Schedule a diabetes evaluation with Emily at Empowered Health and Wellness by calling the office or booking an appointment online today.