Diabetes
Over one in ten Americans have diabetes, a chronic condition that has a far-reaching impact on your health if not properly treated. At Total Access MD, we provide comprehensive diabetes management to patients. If you are in and around Pasadena, Tx, visit us at our clinic Clinica Hispana Pasadena on Pasadena Blvd, or schedule an appointment via phone or online.
FAQs about Diabetes
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic condition. It occurs either when the body is not utilizing the insulin it produces. It can also happen when the pancreas can no longer produce insulin. As a result, glucose cannot be absorbed into cells, eventually leading to health problems. Diabetes affects an estimated 318 million people worldwide and is the seventh leading cause of death.
What are the effects of diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease that impacts your ability to process carbohydrates and fats while managing insulin effectively. The disorder is a marked increase in the amount of glucose absorbed by the body. As glucose remains high, it damages blood vessels and organs, leading to serious health issues, including kidney diseases, heart diseases, and neuropathy.
What are the types of diabetes?
There are three types of diabetes:
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic auto-immune condition. It occurs when your body attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, but it often occurs during childhood or adolescence.
If you have type 1 diabetes, your body cannot make insulin. This means that you need to take insulin regularly. Insulin injections are the most common method, but some use an insulin pump. While both methods require daily injections, an insulin pump delivers a steady stream of insulin that can be more convenient than injections.
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Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is generally due to a combination of genetic susceptibility and lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes accounts for nearly 90% of all cases of diabetes and is more common in adults. If you suffer from Type 2 Diabetes, then your body is not making good use of the insulin that it produces, so you need to help it out with a healthy lifestyle, including enhanced physical activity and a balanced diet. You will probably also need oral medicines and/or insulin to keep your glucose levels under control.
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Gestational Diabetes (GDM)
This kind of diabetes is seen during pregnancy when the mother's body makes too little insulin or cannot use them in sufficient amounts. It can result in complications for both the mother and child. The most common symptoms of GDM include weight gain, hunger, thirst, and urination. GDM usually disappears after pregnancy. However it increases the risk of Type 2 Diabetes for women and also for their children.
How can diabetes be diagnosed and treated?
Your family doctor will use blood tests to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes. If the test results yield higher than expected values, then you are either diabetic or at risk of developing diabetes in the future.
At Total Access MD, we treat diabetes by developing an individual treatment plan based on the type of diabetes, the severity, your health condition, and other factors. These programs will typically involve diet and exercise programs, oral medications, insulin injections, and regular glucose monitoring.