Abnormally high blood glucose levels signify a chronic health condition called diabetes. Impacting more than 34 million Americans, diabetes exhibits several damaging problems. Here’s what to know regarding its causes and symptoms, and how your family medicine center in Kennesaw, GA, can help manage it.
Two Common Forms of Diabetes
Type one diabetes – sometimes called juvenile diabetes – expresses symptoms early in life. The blood glucose levels in young people – often teens and under – escalate due to heredity and defects in the immune system.
In these individuals, the endocrine gland known as the pancreas fails to produce insulin, the hormone which regulates the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. As diabetes progresses, blood sugars remain elevated, causing symptoms such as:
- Weight loss
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Darkened skin
- Blurry vision
- Poor concentration
- Irritability
- Thirst
- Poor wound healing
- Infections, particularly UTIs and skin problems
- Nerve pain in the feet and legs
- Erectile dysfunction (ED) in men
Without treatment and continuing management, diabetics can suffer from cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, vision problems (retinopathy and even blindness), hearing impairments, depression, anxiety, and dementia. Very high blood sugars may result in diabetic coma and even death.
Type two diabetes has a later age of onset–usually 40 and up. While heredity plays a role in its development, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor nutrition predispose someone to this form of diabetes.
While many times, type two diabetes is asymptomatic for long periods of time, many people eventually develop symptoms similar to type one. Plus, kidneys, eyes, heart, and other organs can sustain damage over time.
Are There Treatments For Diabetes Near Me?
There are many ways your family doctor can help you manage diabetes. For instance, a low-carb, plant-based diet and a program of regular, light aerobic exercise are essentials in controlling blood sugar levels.
These good habits also help people avoid the long-term consequences of diabetes. Your family medicine doctor in Kennesaw will ask you to monitor your blood glucose levels and undergo regular blood work to monitor your A1C, the average blood sugar level.
Additionally, type one diabetics must have insulin replacement therapy in the form of injections or an insulin pump. Type two diabetics typically use oral medication, the most common of which is Metformin. Some diabetes medications help the liver convert glucose into a form usable as energy. Others help the body use the insulin it makes, while other drugs stop stomach enzymes from breaking down carbohydrates into sugar.
