Diabetes Treatment Doctor

Diabetes is a prevalent disease affecting people across all age groups. The most prevalent form is Type 2 diabetes. Multiple treatment options are available to manage the disease effectively, ensuring a healthy life and preventing further complications.

In today’s corporate medical industry, finding old fashioned personalized healthcare care can be challenging. Recognizing this need, the experienced medical professionals at Hartland Medicine provide big healthcare experience with small practice attention to each patient. Contact us and schedule an appointment with a board certified doctor for diabetes treatment today.

Understanding Diabetes

Diabetes occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) levels are excessively high. This happens when your pancreas either does not produce sufficient insulin, fails to produce any at all, or your body doesn’t react appropriately to insulin’s effects. While most types of diabetes are chronic, meaning they last a lifetime, all forms can be managed with the help of medication and/or lifestyle adjustments.

Different Types of Diabetes

There are several categories of diabetes, the most common ones include:

Type 2 Diabetes
In this form, your body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body’s cells fail to respond to insulin correctly (insulin resistance). This type is the most prevalent, typically affecting adults, although children can also be diagnosed with it.

Prediabetes
This is a precursor to Type 2 diabetes, where your blood glucose levels are elevated but not high enough for a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

Type 1 Diabetes
This autoimmune disease leads to your immune system attacking and destroying insulin-producing cells in your pancreas for unknown reasons. Approximately 10% of individuals with diabetes have Type 1. It’s typically diagnosed in children and young adults but can develop at any age.

Gestational Diabetes
This form of diabetes occurs in some individuals during pregnancy. It usually subsides post-pregnancy, but those with gestational diabetes have a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

Symptoms of diabetes encompass:

Increased thirst (polydipsia) and dry mouth.
Frequent urination.
Fatigue.
Blurred vision.
Unexplained weight loss.
Numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
Slow-healing sores or cuts.
Recurring skin and/or vaginal yeast infections.
Consult your healthcare provider if you or your child exhibit these symptoms.

Diabetes Diagnosis

Diabetes is diagnosed by assessing your glucose level via a blood test. There are three tests to measure your blood glucose level:

Fasting Blood Glucose Test: You are required to fast for at least eight hours before this test, consuming only water. This test provides your healthcare provider with your baseline blood sugar level, which can be significantly impacted by food.
Random Blood Glucose Test: This test can be conducted at any time, regardless of whether you’ve fasted or not.
A1c: Also known as the HbA1C or glycated hemoglobin test, this test gives an average of your blood glucose level over the past two to three months.

An oral glucose tolerance test is ordered to screen for and diagnose gestational diabetes.

Diabetes Prognosis

The prognosis or outlook for diabetes greatly depends on various factors, including:

Type of diabetes.
Effectiveness of diabetes management and access to diabetes care.
Age at diagnosis and the duration of the disease.
Presence of other health conditions.
Development of diabetes-related complications.
Chronic high blood sugar can lead to severe complications, often irreversible. Multiple studies indicate that untreated chronic high blood sugar can reduce life expectancy and degrade quality of life.

In the United States, diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death, with a significant number of diabetes patients dying from heart attacks or strokes.