3 REASONS CONTROLLING YOUR DIABETES IS SO IMPORTANT

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic, long-term condition that affects over 10% of the US population, or 37.3 millions Americans. Of that amount, over 8 million people are dealing with diabetes undiagnosed. This illness affects insulin production, which regulates the amount of glucose (a type of sugar your body needs for energy) in your blood, and if the levels get out of control, it can lead to life threatening complications.

Controlling your blood sugar is vital to managing this condition, and can help you live longer and healthier. Let’s examine how diabetes affects you, why management and treatment is so vital, and what options you have for medical care.

Residents of Hershey, Pennsylvania, dealing with Type 2 diabetes or other conditions can get help from Dr. Dannette Joseph and the Three Angels Family Practice and Wellness Center. We are a family practice that offers a unique approach to treatment that combines conventional and alternative methods to help you get better.

HOW DIABETES AFFECTS YOUR BODY

Your hormones are a vital part of regulating multiple functions in your body, including your development into adulthood, your metabolism and storing and using energy. You use blood glucose to fuel your body’s cells from the food you eat, and to regulate the amount of it in your body, your pancreas produces the hormone insulin.

With Type 2 diabetes, your body becomes resistant to insulin and your pancreas is unable to produce enough of it to effectively do its job, leaving you able to properly control the amount of blood sugar you have. This leads to getting prediabetes and eventually Type 2 diabetes if left untreated, which causes symptoms like increased thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, irritability, blurred vision, and frequent infections.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MANAGING IT

The biggest problem with diabetes is the fact that it’s rather easy to get, and not realize you have it. Managing it is vital for many reasons, but here are just three:

1. THE IMBALANCE OF INSULIN AND BLOOD SUGAR CAN BE DEADLY

Glucose is an important fuel for your muscles, tissues, and your brain. An occasional spike in your blood sugar is manageable, but the presence of too much of it over a long period of time due to insulin resistance does damage to your eyes, kidneys, and many other organs.

2. LIFESTYLE CHOICES INCREASE YOUR RISK OR MAKE IT WORSE

Because you get blood sugar from the food you eat, a bad diet can be a direct cause of getting diabetes (specifically diets high in sugar or those that lead to excessive weight gain). Many other choices can affect your chances of getting it or making it worse including obesity, family history, a sedentary lifestyle, and smoking.

3. PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS CAN MAKE THE COMPLICATIONS WORSE

High cholesterol and hypertension are problems that increase your risk of diabetes. This can lead to many complications, including cardiovascular disease, nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy), depression, and Alzheimer disease.

The longer you have diabetes, the greater the risk of complications. Treatment and management can save your life.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Treating diabetes is often done with a combination of medical treatments and lifestyle changes. Monitoring your blood sugar is key to keeping symptoms and complications under control, so regular checks are a standard part of treatment. This can happen as often as four times a day. Insulin therapy (injections or pumps) is done to maintain normal levels of blood sugar in your system.

Changes in your diet and an increase in exercise are also common in managing diabetes, which includes increasing the amount of healthier foods (fruits, nuts, vegetables, and lean proteins) and at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week.

Diabetes can be dangerous to your health, but it is treatable and you can live for many years happier and healthier. So if you’re ready to get your diabetes under control, make an appointment with Dr. Joseph today to start the road to better health.