Millions of Americans have diabetes, with millions others considered as prediabetic. Diabetes is a serious chronic illness that needs careful daily management. Rakesh Malik, MD, and the physician assistants at Doctors First provide comprehensive Germantown diabetes medical care for men, women, and children. The team takes a proactive approach to diabetes by helping patients manage the condition better through diet, medications, and exercise. For more information about how you can live healthy with diabetes, call or book an appointment online.
What is diabetes?
This refers to a disorder that prevents the body from regulating glucose levels in your blood due to inadequate insulin production or insulin resistance. When your body does not process blood sugar correctly and doesn’t respond to normal amounts of insulin, you have diabetes.
How is insulin involved with diabetes?
Insulin is a digestive hormone secreted by the pancreas to help control blood glucose levels. The hormone is in charge of directing blood sugar to where it needs to go while carting off the excess. If your pancreas does not secrete sufficient insulin or your body is resistant to insulin, blood glucose is not taken to the organs it should, and instead builds up into the circulation at hazardous levels. Dr. Malik is experienced in family medicine and has extensive knowledge in treating diabetes.
What are the types of diabetes?
There are two main types of diabetes:
Type 1 Diabetes
This refers to an auto-immune disorder that prevents your body from making insulin. This kind affects about 1.5 million people in the US. It is irreversible, and symptoms include weight loss, excessive urination, thirst, fatigue, and blurry vision.
Type 2 Diabetes
It affects a significant percentage of patients and occurs when your pancreas cannot secrete adequate insulin or when you are insulin resistant because your body no longer responds to insulin effectively. The symptoms of diabetes type 2 include excessive urination, abnormal thirst, weight loss or gain, sections of darkened skin on your armpit or groin, and unusual odor.
What are the health complications of diabetes?
Diabetes results in a buildup of blood sugar in your circulation, which causes a variety of serious health problems. The various health complications from diabetes include cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, heart attack, stroke, and vision loss. This means that if not appropriately managed, diabetes can have a considerably severe health effect.
How is diabetes treated?
Diabetes treatment starts with lifestyle and diet changes. The doctor recommends reduced consumption of simple carbohydrates, lower intake of sugar-laden food, and regular exercise to manage type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The experienced providers at Doctors First will recommend oral medication or insulin, depending on your condition, and carefully monitor your diabetes. They will keep an eye on your blood sugar and blood pressure, examine your body for the condition’s effects, keep your prescriptions updated, and share newly developing treatments and protocols to ensure your condition is well managed.
In conclusion, at Doctors First, they have dedicated specialists under Dr. Malik’s leadership to help manage your condition, be healthy, and stay healthy. To help manage your diabetes, call Doctors First, or book an appointment online.
