The different types of diabetes all have one thing in common: unregulated blood sugar levels. At Tri-County Medical Clinic, we specialize in holistic care for our patients, including type 2 diabetes treatment in Troy, MI.
Diabetes treatment is crucial because, when left untreated, the condition can be life-threatening. If you’re feeling confused about the types of diabetes and how they each work, here is everything you need to know.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is the umbrella term for a collection of conditions that result in high glucose levels. These conditions develop when your body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t utilize insulin efficiently.
Often, diabetes is a lifelong disease. It can lead to vision problems, nerve damage, and heart conditions. However, if treated effectively, diabetes is manageable, and most go on to live full, happy lives!
How Does Diabetes Work?
Like dominoes falling in a chain reaction, all body systems are interconnected. When a certain hormone, protein, or nutrient is missing, several other processes are usually impacted. With diabetes, glucose levels are affected by insulin—an integral hormone made by the pancreas.
To understand diabetes, we must start with the digestive system.
Glucose Arrives at the Cell
When you eat, acids and enzymes break down the food in your esophagus into tiny pieces; this releases glucose from the food. From your stomach, this glucose passes through your intestines and into your bloodstream.
Insulin Doesn’t Open the Door
Your cells need glucose for energy, but cells are like houses with locked front doors. The glucose needs a key to get in. As the glucose levels in your blood rise, your pancreas receives a signal to release insulin.
Insulin is like that house key; it opens the front door so glucose can go inside your cells. This is where complications from diabetes arise. However, as we mentioned, the complications are different based on which type of diabetes you have.
Type I Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that affects less than 1% of the American population. It is generally diagnosed during childhood, but it can also develop later in life.
With type 1 diabetes, your immune system attacks and destroys the cells responsible for making insulin. As a result, there is no insulin to let the glucose in your blood enter your cells. This is what causes high blood sugar and low energy in those with untreated type 1 diabetes.
Type II Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is much more common and affects almost 40 million Americans, according to the American Diabetes Association. People usually develop type 2 diabetes later in life because of their lifestyle choices over a long period of time.
With type 2 diabetes, your cells typically develop a resistance to insulin. This can result from several causes, including:
- Lack of sleep
- Chronic stress
- Excess visceral fat
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Poor diet (frequent consumption of highly processed, high-carbohydrate foods and saturated fats)
- Certain medications
- Hypothyroidism and Cushing’s syndrome (hormone disorders)
- Genetics
When your cells are resistant to insulin, glucose continues to fill your bloodstream. When your blood sugar is abnormally high over a period of time, it is called hyperglycemia. Prolonged hyperglycemia can result in type 2 diabetes.
During prolonged hyperglycemia, your body may keep making insulin, but it can’t be used effectively. If caught early on, type 2 diabetes can sometimes be prevented or reversed. Tri-County Medical Clinic specializes in preventative care for type 2 diabetes to help our patients be more proactive about their health and wellness.
What Is Prediabetes?
Prediabetes is an early stage of type 2 diabetes. With prediabetes, your blood sugar levels are higher than they should be, but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
During prediabetes, you have the best chance of developing better habits and reversing the condition. Unfortunately, over 80% of people with prediabetes don’t know they have it. That’s why it’s so important to regularly get your glucose levels checked. This service is available to you at Tri-County medical clinic in Troy, MI. Prediabetes is a HBA1C of 5.7%-6.4%.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes develops in up to 10% of pregnant people in the US. It occurs because of changes in hormones and the way you convert food into energy while pregnant. For most, gestational diabetes goes away at the end of pregnancy once blood sugar levels have returned to normal.
However, having gestational diabetes can make you more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Additionally, if untreated, it can cause issues for your baby. These can include increased birth weight, breathing trouble, seizures, and more. With proper diabetes treatment in Troy, MI, you can prevent this.
There are other types of diabetes, but these are more rare. Select the button below to learn about more varieties of diabetes.
What are the Symptoms of Diabetes?
The symptoms of diabetes are tied to the extent of glucose in your bloodstream. That’s why symptoms often come on faster and more intensely for those with type 1 diabetes. Symptoms of diabetes include:
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Unexplained weight loss
- Ketones in urine
- Weakness and fatigue
- Irritability
- Blurry vision
- Slow-healing cuts or sores
- Frequent infections (skin, gum, vaginal, etc.)
If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms and think it may be a result of diabetes, it’s time to see a doctor. Our diabetes clinic is happy to visit with you about your concerns and perform any necessary evaluations.
How Do You Treat Diabetes?
Diabetes is a manageable condition. There are a variety of diabetes treatments in Troy, MI, that can support your health and reduce the symptoms and risks of diabetes. The type of diabetes you have will dictate the type of treatment or lifestyle adjustments we prescribe.
A Nutritional Diet
Because high blood sugar contributes to serious health complications from diabetes, a diet that helps you manage your blood sugar levels is very beneficial. This means reducing foods that contain a lot of saturated fats, carbohydrates, and sugar.
Diabetes can lead to heart disease, making it important to eat in a way that cuts down on risk factors for heart disease. This will probably include a diverse palette of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Regular Exercise
Getting active is a great way to minimize the risks of diabetes. When you exercise, your insulin sensitivity increases. For those with type 2 diabetes, insulin has a better chance of allowing glucose into your cells. Over time, this can reverse the effects of insulin resistance.
Exercise can help people with type 1 diabetes, too, because when your muscles contract, your cells can accept glucose, whether or not insulin is present. Physical activity lowers blood sugar because your body needs that energy to keep up.
Insulin Therapy
Insulin injections or pumps are necessary for people with type 1 diabetes because their bodies create little to no insulin. Without supplemental insulin, they cannot sufficiently regulate their blood glucose levels. This is called insulin-dependence.
Those with type 2 diabetes may or may not use insulin injections; they are generally insulin resistant rather than dependent. If lifestyle changes do not sufficiently control a type 2 diabetes patient’s blood glucose levels, we may treat them with insulin therapy.
Oral Diabetes Drugs
There are a variety of oral medications that can help manage diabetes. Some of these drugs work by increasing the amount of insulin made by your pancreas or by improving your cells’ response to insulin. Other medications reduce the amount of glucose in your blood by cutting down on glucose production and absorption.
The use of these medications generally requires you to monitor your blood sugar levels. It is important to have a medical provider you trust to help you manage these medications, as well as the other aforementioned diabetes treatments in Troy, MI.
Diabetes Treatment Near You
Tri-County Medical is home to an excellent diabetes and lipid disorder clinic. Our physicians have experience in treating several types of diabetes. They also have expertise in managing obesity, dyslipidemia, and other associated symptoms and risks.
The diabetes treatment services available at Tri-County Medical Clinic include:
- Screening for abnormal lipid values (blood test)
- BMI testing
- Explanation of lipid profile results
- Lifestyle and diet recommendations
- Medication management
- Blood sugar testing/glucose testing
- Hemoglobin A1C testing
Our practice values personalized care, convenient resources, and improved health outcomes. At Tri-County, we will tailor your diabetes treatment to your condition, symptoms, and preferences. We can also screen and diagnose you at a routine appointment because of our advanced resources.
We provide extensive preventative support as opposed to reacting to symptoms. This can improve patient outcomes significantly by avoiding unnecessary complications. Diabetes can be scary, but with the right physician, it doesn’t have to be.
Get Started With Diabetes Treatment at Tri-County Medical Clinic Today!
Diabetes is a serious disease and demands action sooner than later. We know it’s intimidating to bring this sort of concern to your doctor, but the team at our practice is empathetic, passionate, and experienced. In fact, we have over 40 years of experience treating chronic diseases. We’re prepared for whatever diabetes treatment you need.
Our staff is dedicated to improving your quality of life. If you’re seeking diabetes prevention or treatment in Troy, MI, reach out to Tri-County Medical Clinic today. Use the button below to get started.