Diabetes Specialist

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects how your body uses the sugar it takes from your diet for energy. In a healthy body, the hormone insulin is necessary to control sugar levels in your blood, converting sugar into the energy you need to function properly.

When you have diabetes, this process doesn’t work as it should, resulting in chronically high levels of sugar in your blood. The four types of diabetes include:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes results when the pancreas isn’t able to produce the insulin needed to control blood sugar. This type of diabetes is commonly diagnosed in childhood but can also develop in adulthood, requiring daily treatment for life.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is often a side effect of poor dietary choices and a lack of physical activity. The body isn’t producing enough insulin or isn’t using the insulin it does make properly, resulting in high sugar levels in the blood.

Prediabetes

Prediabetes is a condition where your blood sugar levels remain high but not high enough for a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Without treatment, prediabetes can evolve into Type 2 diabetes and increases your risk for chronic health complications, like heart disease and permanent nerve damage.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels remain high throughout pregnancy. Women may develop gestational diabetes at any point in their pregnancy, and the condition often resolves on its own after childbirth.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

Any symptoms of diabetes, such as increased hunger or thirst or unexplained weight loss, can be evaluated through blood work and screenings with your care team at Stephen Renzi Medical PC. After your lab test, your provider reviews your blood sugar levels to determine if your symptoms relate to diabetes or other underlying health conditions.

You should also receive routine blood screenings if you have a family history of diabetes. These routine tests allow your doctor the opportunity to identify prediabetes and other warning signs as early as possible, so treatment can be more effective.

How is diabetes treated?

If you have Type 1 diabetes, you need daily insulin therapy to control your blood sugar levels. Your doctor also provides resources and guidance for frequent at-home blood checks throughout each day and requests routine in-office visits to ensure your diabetes is properly managed.

The initial treatment for Type 2 diabetes is often modifications to your diet and physical activity to lower your blood sugars naturally. These changes can also help you lose weight and prevent prediabetes from progressing into Type 2 diabetes.

If diet and exercise aren’t enough to control diabetes, you may also need medications and follow through with routine blood sugar checks at home.

If you need comprehensive diabetes care, schedule a consultation today at Stephen Renzi Medical PC by phone or by using the online booking tool.