Diabetes Diagnosis and Treatment at Lake Family Medicine & Imaging

Diabetes is a growing health hazard affecting about 34 million Americans. It is associated with your body’s inability or ineffectiveness to produce or use insulin in converting blood sugar into energy. The condition eventually leads to vision loss, damage of the kidneys, nerves, and other vital organs. Raj Kandavanam, MD, treats diabetes in Sanford with exclusive experience diagnosing the condition at Lake Family Medicine & Imaging, Florida. Call the office or use the online feature to book a diagnosis appointment of your health with Dr. Raj today.

Diabetes

Diabetes consists of several diseases that interfere with your body’s ability to convert glucose into energy. There are various types of diabetes, as shown below:

•         Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which your body attacks the pancreatic beta cells that manufacture insulin leading to low or no production. The condition commonly occurs during childhood.
•         Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body develops resistance to the proper usage of insulin. Type 2 is associated with lifestyle and genetic factors. Due to the sharing of genes in family members, there is the likelihood to cause them to get type 2 diabetes.
•         Gestational diabetes often results during pregnancy when hormonal changes occur. The expectant mother becomes less sensitive to insulin due to hormones the placenta produces, resulting in high sugar levels.
•         Prediabetes occurs when you have higher glucose levels than normal; however, not enough for diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

General diabetes symptoms

Diabetes symptoms are a result of elevated blood sugar levels; they include:

1.     Increased thirst and hunger.
2.     Unexplained weight loss and extreme fatigue.
3.     Experiencing frequent urination, blurry vision, and sores not healing.

Men’s symptoms are poor strength in the muscles, erectile dysfunction, and low sex drive. On the other hand, women experience unique dry-itchy skin, yeast infection, and urinary tract infection.

Complications of diabetes

Elevated glucose level leads to organ and tissue damages. A continued stay with high blood sugar levels increases the risk of more health complications, as stated below:

•         Neuropathy, hand and feet numbness.
•         Vision and hearing loss.
•         Skin bacterial and fungal infections.
•         Nephropathy, foot damage, and dementia.
•         Heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.
•         Unattended gestational diabetes can cause premature birth, stillbirth, jaundice, and increased weight at birth, requiring a cesarean delivery.

Diagnosis

Experiencing any of the diabetes symptoms calls for a test. At Lake Family Medicine & Imaging, Dr. Raj and the team always perform a comprehensive test on you before scheduling an individualized treatment plan.

The team uses your blood sample to test for diabetes and prediabetes, like the A1c test to give an average sugar level in your previous three months. In gestational diabetes, Dr. Raj will test your glucose level between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy.

Treatment

Type 1 diabetes

Insulin is the main treatment coming in four types:

•         Intermediate-acting insulin, effective within 1 hour and goes for about 18 hours.
•         Rapid-acting insulin, effective within 15 minutes and lasts for about 4 hours.
•         Long-acting insulin, effective within a few hours from the injection time, lasts more than 24 hours.
•         Short-acting insulin that works within 30 minutes and lasts for 8 hours.

Type 2 and Gestational diabetes

Lifestyle adjustment in dieting and exercise can help bring the condition down and heal. If the situation persists, Dr. Raj will prescribe medication depending on your condition.

To be certain of your health and recovery, call the office or plan an appointment with Dr. Raj using the online tool today.