Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose level (your blood sugar level) is too high. Normally, the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that helps convert the glucose that comes from food into energy.

If your pancreas doesn't make insulin or doesn't use it properly, the glucose remains in your blood. Over time, a high blood glucose level causes the many health problems associated with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes occurs when you don’t make insulin at all. It develops because your immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. The discovery of type 1 diabetes usually occurs during childhood, with 14 being the most common age of diagnosis.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes occurs when you produce insulin, but don’t use it well. This is known as insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood, and it’s very often the result of controllable factors like obesity and inactivity. Type 2 diabetes accounts for around 90% of all diabetes cases in the United States.

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are serious diseases, but you can get healthy with your Pinnacle Medical Group care provider’s help.

What happens if I don’t get diabetes treatment?

The effects of diabetes are serious and could be deadly if you don’t get help. You could have a heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, and nerve damage along with many other potential issues.

Some diabetes sufferers eventually lose limbs after severe nerve damage or lose their sight due to blood vessel damage in the eyes. The good news is that you can prevent diabetes damage very effectively if you get treatment and make an effort to stay healthy.

How is diabetes treated?

Your Pinnacle Medical Group care provider treats diabetes with a whole-body approach. With type 1 diabetes, you need to take insulin because your body doesn’t produce it naturally. You may use injected insulin, an implanted insulin pump, or an external insulin pump. Maintaining good health is also important, including a healthy body weight.

For type 2 diabetes, you may achieve stable blood glucose by losing weight and changing your diet. But, if healthy changes aren’t sufficient, your Pinnacle Medical Group care provider can prescribe oral insulin medication. If your type 2 diabetes is highly advanced, you may need injected or implanted insulin.

If you have prediabetes, meaning your blood glucose is high, but not yet at diabetes levels, the Pinnacle Medical Group team can help you implement lifestyle changes to avoid diabetes diagnosis.

Use online scheduling or call Pinnacle Medical Group to book an appointment for diabetes help now.