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Without proper treatment, diabetes can lead to multiple complications, many of which are life-threatening. At offices in Hollywood, Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, and Davie, Florida, the Primary Medical Physicians, LLC team offers screening to identify the condition and provide comprehensive care for patients with diabetes. Call your nearest office to arrange a screening test or schedule a consultation online today.
Diabetes is a chronic illness where your body can’t regulate the sugar levels in your blood. You need a certain amount of glucose (sugar) as an instant energy source. Your pancreas releases a hormone, insulin, to keep blood sugar at optimal levels, but when you have diabetes, this doesn’t happen as it should.
People with Type 1 diabetes have an autoimmune disorder that prevents them from making insulin. Their immune system malfunctions, destroying the pancreatic cells that produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin, or your body becomes insulin-resistant.
Some women develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, which disappears after childbirth. However, it does increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in later life.
Diabetes (especially Type 2) often causes few or no symptoms while it’s developing. The best way to determine if you have diabetes or are at risk is to visit Primary Medical Physicians, LLC for a screening test.
Untreated diabetes causes multiple problems, mainly due to blood vessel and nerve damage from excessively high sugar levels. Potential complications include:
A combination of circulatory problems and nerve damage in the lower limbs can lead to diabetic ulcer formation. These open sores resist healing and are prone to infection. Gangrene can develop in the worst cases, potentially leading to limb amputation.
People with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin for the rest of their lives. Insulin is injectable, but Primary Medical Physicians, LLC also provides patients with insulin pumps — implanted devices that deliver the insulin directly into your bloodstream.
If you have Type 2 diabetes, the primary treatment is lifestyle changes. Type 1 diabetes isn’t preventable, but Type 2 is increasingly linked to having an unhealthy lifestyle and being overweight.
Therefore, losing weight, exercising more, and eating a low-fat, low-carb diet can help you manage your condition. If you start treatment early enough, when you have prediabetes, you may be able to reverse the condition.
Some people might also need medications like metformin to help regulate their blood sugar levels. If you have severe Type 2 diabetes, you may need supplemental insulin.
Call Primary Medical Physicians, LLC today or book an appointment online to arrange a diabetes screening test and get prompt treatment.