Diabetes Management Specialists

What is diabetes?

Diabetes occurs when your blood sugar is too high. This disease is caused by problems with insulin, which is the hormone responsible for getting excess sugar out of your bloodstream.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t produce insulin. It’s usually diagnosed in children and young adults, but it can develop at any age. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin to manage their diabetes.

With type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced but the body doesn’t use it properly. If type 2 diabetes gets worse over time, it may also begin to affect insulin production. This type of diabetes usually develops in adults, although it can be diagnosed at any age.

Diabetes can also develop during pregnancy. While gestational diabetes goes away after the baby is born, these women have a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Why is it essential to keep levels of blood sugar normal?

When levels of blood sugar stay higher than normal, the excess sugar damages small blood vessels and nerves. As a result, you have a higher risk of complications such as:

• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• Neuropathy
• Skin infections

Am I at risk for developing type 2 diabetes?

You can’t prevent type 1 diabetes, but most people can stop type 2 diabetes from developing by controlling the following health concerns:

• Overweight
• Eating unhealthy diet
• Inactive lifestyle
• High blood pressure
• Low blood levels of good cholesterol
• High blood levels of triglycerides

How is diabetes managed?

It’s important to prevent type 2 diabetes because once it develops, it can’t be cured. Instead, you’ll have to manage the disease for the rest of your life, which means making the necessary changes to keep blood sugar at normal levels. Dr. Boulware works with each person to create an individualized plan, but diabetes management for everyone includes some or all of the following:

• Healthy diet: The type and amount of carbohydrates, the timing of meals and dietary components that can lower blood sugar like fiber should all be considered when planning a diet to keep blood sugar steady.
• Weight loss: Getting down to a healthy body weight also helps lower blood sugar.
• Exercise: Physical activity lowers blood sugar and helps you maintain an ideal weight.
• Medications: A variety of medications that work through different mechanisms are available to lower blood sugar.