Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a group of chronic illnesses that affect your body's glucose processing. Your pancreas makes insulin, a hormone that helps you convert glucose from food into energy. 

People who have diabetes don't make insulin (Type 1 diabetes) or make too little insulin (Type 2 diabetes), which means that glucose isn't used for energy. It stays in the bloodstream, raising high blood sugar levels enough to eventually cause severe bodywide damage. 

What health problems can diabetes cause?

Diabetes complications can include:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• Vision loss 
• Neuropathy (nerve damage) 
• Kidney disease

Diabetes can also lead to mental health problems. Diabetics are up to three times more likely to experience depression than people who don't have diabetes. 

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Diabetes might not cause any symptoms in the early stages. When your blood sugar is highly elevated, or in late-stage diabetes, you may have:

• Overwhelming thirst
• Increased hunger
• Fatigue
• Mood swings
• Blurry vision
• Slow healing of cuts, blisters, and other skin damage
• Frequent infections

Type 1 diabetes is more likely to cause sudden-onset symptoms and severe symptoms than Type 2 diabetes. 

Because there's often no warning symptoms with diabetes, regular screening is important. At Akachi Primary and Urgent Care, physicals include a risk assessment and may include blood tests that check for diabetes. 

If you have prediabetes — high blood sugar, but not high enough to qualify as diabetes — the team helps with diabetes prevention as part of your primary care services. By making the right changes today, you can avoid a lifelong diabetes diagnosis.

How is diabetes treated?

Diabetes treatment at Akachi Primary and Urgent Care includes everything you need to manage your diabetes and prevent its progression. This includes help with weight loss, exercise, nutritional counseling, and regular blood sugar monitoring. 

Many people with Type 2 diabetes can manage and even reverse some effects of the disease with lifestyle changes. However, you may need oral medication as well to help manage your diabetes. 

People with Type 1 diabetes need insulin replacement along with lifestyle changes. If you have Type 1 diabetes, you may also need to see a specialist (an endocrinologist) periodically. The Akachi Primary and Urgent Care team can manage all of your day-to-day diabetes care. 

Although diabetes is a chronic illness, it doesn't have to ruin your quality of life or even slow you down. Akachi Primary and Urgent Care can help with diabetes, from testing to treatment, so call the office or use the online scheduling feature to book an appointment now.