DIABETES CARE
DO NOT SUGARCOAT IT
It's believed that in 2018, 34.2 million Americans were diagnosed with diabetes. We have now recognized this disease as the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. Since there is no cure yet, however, Dexter Pharmacy of Plano can help you manage and control symptoms.
Overall, treatment will often need the help of a healthcare team. This will include your primary care doctor or endocrinologist, your pharmacist, and a nutritionist/dietician. In short, a multifaceted plan can help decrease the impact of this disease, like diet, exercise, education, and medications.
DIABETES
Diabetes can be categorized into Type 1, where the body does not produce insulin, or Type 2, where the body is not able to use insulin effectively. In either case, not having access or being able to properly utilize insulin can allow for unstable and inconsistent levels of glucose (or sugar) in the blood.
TREATMENT
Primarily, the main goal of treating diabetes is to control blood sugar levels into a normal range, while also limiting symptoms of disease and side effects of medication. Treatment can be usually based on what type you are experiencing, your most recent lab values, treatment goals discussed with your healthcare team, and symptoms too.
DO NOT IGNORE THE SIGNS
Warning signs for diabetes can be mild and go unnoticed, which is in fact why so many Americans go undiagnosed until complications arise. Signs for type 1 may arise surprisingly, while those for type 2 can have a gradual onset. Both types have some of the same warning signs:
It is vital to see that glucose (“sugar” in short or broken-down form of carbohydrate) is the body’s main source of energy that comes from the foods that you eat. Eventually, the sugar gets absorbed by the GI tract to the bloodstream then it is finally sent to distribute to the cells of the body. Insulin is required to help those sugar molecules to move into the cells so they are ready to be used as a source of energy. In conclusion, by the time blood sugar goes up that is whenever the body releases insulin.
However, since you are not taking insulin or your body is not responding fully to it, of course the sugar molecules stay in the bloodstream and levels can become elevated. When the amount of sugar in your blood is chronically high, it can progress to diabetes. Over time, if not well-managed, it can lead to other chronic health problems, such as, but not confined to, heart disease, kidney disease, eye disturbances, and nerve damage.
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Treatment goals can include lowering hemoglobin A1c, fasting sugar levels, and postprandial blood sugar levels, in addition to minimizing low blood sugar and adverse effects from medications. Specifically, this is achieved through a plan formed with the help of your healthcare team. This team can put together a plan which can involve, medications, education, mindful eating practices, and movement.
