Diabetes

Diabetes isn’t curable, and without consistent management, it puts you at risk of developing life-threatening health problems like high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and heart disease. With support from the skilled Alpha Advantage team in Lakeway, San Antonio, and Plano, Texas, you can maintain healthy blood sugar levels and even prevent Type 2 diabetes (if you catch high blood sugar early). Call the nearest office or request an in-person or telehealth appointment online today.

What is diabetes?

You need a certain amount of sugar in your bloodstream to be sure it's immediately available for energy. But if your blood sugar goes higher than the healthy range, the extra sugar causes serious health complications, including:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol (diabetic dyslipidemia)
• Heart disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Eye disease (diabetic retinopathy) and vision loss
• Foot wounds that won’t heal

Diabetes occurs when your body can’t remove excess blood sugar. This problem develops because your pancreas can’t produce insulin (the hormone that lowers blood sugar) or your body doesn’t respond to the insulin released into your bloodstream (insulin resistance).

What are the different types of diabetes?

There are numerous types of diabetes, but the following four account for most cases:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 begins at an early age when an autoimmune disease damages the pancreas and stops insulin production.

Prediabetes

Prediabetes means your blood sugar is elevated. However, it's not high enough to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. At this stage, you can prevent full-blown Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes develops gradually over years of an unhealthy lifestyle — excessive weight, a poor diet, and lack of exercise lead to insulin resistance and then to Type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy. While blood sugar usually returns to the healthy range after delivery, gestational diabetes poses a risk to your pregnancy and baby. You may also have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes later in life.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

All types of diabetes cause:

• Increased thirst and hunger
• Frequent urination
• Fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Slow-healing cuts and bruises
• Numbness, tingling, or pain in your feet or hands

Symptoms occur rapidly with Type 1 diabetes. They develop so slowly in people with Type 2 diabetes that you may not notice them at the start.

How is diabetes managed?

You can prevent Type 2 diabetes and health complications after diabetes develops through two primary treatments: lifestyle modifications and medication.

Lifestyle modifications

Following a diet that doesn’t make your blood sugar spike is essential. Exercise and weight loss also lower your blood sugar.

Medication

If you have Type 1 diabetes, you must take insulin. People with Type 2 diabetes may need medications to lower their blood sugar if lifestyle changes can’t keep it under control.

Call Alpha Advantage or use the online booking feature to schedule an appointment for diabetes management today.