Diabetes affects close to 100 million Americans every year. It’s a widespread condition that causes your body to transform blood sugar into energy improperly. At Delta Internal Medicine in Downtown Orlando, Florida, Michael Akpeke, MD, provides men and women with cutting-edge diabetes screening and treatment to help them live long and healthy lives with this immune disorder. Contact the team today by phone or online to learn more about life with diabetes.
407-985-1940Diabetes Q & A
What are the different types of diabetes?
Diabetes can take two different forms, each one involving your body’s improper use or production of insulin. In some cases, your body doesn’t produce enough insulin. In other instances, it doesn’t know how to use it or doesn’t produce any at all, causing fluctuations in your blood sugar levels.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes occurs when your body’s insulin production is too scarce or nonexistent. Your immune system attacks healthy cells in your pancreas, hindering the production of insulin. In most cases, type 1 diabetes affects children and young adults.
Type 2 diabetes
As the most common type of diabetes, type 2 occurs when your body can’t properly move sugar into your cells because of your body’s resistance to insulin. Type 2 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed in middle-aged and older people.
If you’re pregnant, you run the risk of contracting gestational diabetes. It should go away after the pregnancy, but women who have had gestational diabetes are at higher risk of contracting type 2 diabetes later in life.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
Each type of diabetes affects people differently. Nonetheless, most people exhibit any of the following symptoms if they leave their diabetes untreated:
- Excessive hunger
- Bladder issues
- Vision changes
- Weight loss
- Excessive thirst
- Dry skin
- Numbness/tingling in feet and hands
- Slow-healing sores
- Fatigue
If any of these symptoms sound familiar, contact Delta Internal Medicine Center for treatment.
What are the risks of diabetes?
Getting your diabetes under control should be at the top of your list. If you leave it unaddressed for too long, you can severely jeopardize the health of your heart and your teeth, and you could contract kidney disease.
You might also experience joint or nerve damage, as well as vision complications. In extreme cases, untreated diabetes can lead to strokes, even death.
How do you treat diabetes?
Treatment for diabetes depends on the type with which you’ve been diagnosed. For type 1 diabetes, Dr. Akpeke can recommend regular insulin injections or give you an insulin pump that slowly administers insulin into your body throughout the day.
For type 2 diabetes, the best treatment is adjusting your lifestyle habits. Dr. Akpeke works with you to determine which changes will increase your health, such as regular exercise and a healthy diet. He might also give you medication to stabilize your blood sugar levels.
Get your diabetes under control. Establish care with Delta Internal Medicine Center today by booking an appointment online or over the phone.