diabetes

Family Medicine & Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician located in Houston, TX

what causes diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic, incurable disease that causes high blood sugar. Your blood sugar naturally rises after eating carbohydrates. Then your pancreas releases insulin to restore normal sugar levels. You develop diabetes when your pancreas can’t produce insulin, or the insulin can’t clear extra sugar out of your bloodstream.

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what are the different types of diabetes?

There are two primary types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes develops when an autoimmune disorder attacks and damages the pancreas. As a result, it can’t produce insulin. This type most often occurs in children and teens.

Type 2 diabetes

Insulin eliminates excess blood sugar by carrying it into cells that use the sugar for energy. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the cells stop responding to insulin, a condition called insulin resistance. Your pancreas still produces insulin, but insulin can’t do its job.

This type usually appears in adults because it develops slowly over many years. However, it’s increasingly being diagnosed in teens and young adults.

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WHAT are the symptoms and complications of diabetes?

No matter which type you have, you experience symptoms such as:

  • Excessive thirst

  • Frequent urination

  • Increased hunger

  • Dry, itchy skin

  • Blurred vision

  • Fatigue

  • Unexplained weight loss

In advanced stages, you may experience tingling or numbness in your feet. 

High blood sugar damages nerves and small blood vessels. As a result, uncontrolled diabetes significantly increases your risk of developing:

  • Heart disease

  • Diabetic foot ulcers

  • Chronic kidney disease

  • Peripheral artery disease

  • Peripheral nerve damage

  • Diabetic retinopathy

These conditions lead to heart attacks, vision loss, kidney failure, and foot amputations.

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how is diabetes treated?

Diabetes treatment focuses on keeping your blood sugar within the normal range. As a primary care provider, Mai Medical Clinic offers comprehensive care for diabetes, including: 

  • Diabetes education

  • Diet and nutrition planning

  • Weight loss management

  • Medication management

  • Insulin pumps

  • Continuous glucose monitoring

  • Remote patient monitoring

Everyone with diabetes needs to follow a balanced diet focused on monitoring carbohydrates. Getting regular exercise also helps lower your blood sugar. Making these changes may be enough to control blood sugar levels, but if not, you need medication. 

People with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin. If you have Type 2 diabetes, you may need insulin, but your treatment typically begins with other sugar-lowering medications.

You can stay healthy and enjoy a long life with diabetes care from Mai Medical Clinic. Call or book an appointment online today.