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North Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology

Diabetes Treatment

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Understanding Your Diagnosis

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which your pancreas does not make or makes very little insulin.  Type 1 diabetics are not able to produce insulin because their bodies attack insulin-producing cells.  Without insulin, blood sugar cannot get into the body’s cells and builds up in the bloodstream.  Type 1 diabetes is known as insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes.

Your body breaks down most of the food you eat into glucose (sugar) and releases it into your bloodstream.  When your blood sugar rises, it signals your pancreas to release insulin.  Insulin acts like a key, letting the blood sugar into your body’s cells to use as energy.

Over time, diabetes can lead to serious health conditions like heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes may include:

  • Frequent urination
  • Increased thirst
  • Bedwetting in children with no history of this
  • Increased hunger
  • Weight loss without trying
  • Feeling irritable or other mood changes
  • Feeling fatigued or weak
  • Blurry vision

Treatment

A North Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology provider will develop a treatment plan for your specific needs.  The plan may include:

  • Daily insulin
  • Close blood sugar monitoring
  • Counting carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
  • Routine blood tests
  • A health, balanced diet
  • Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight
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Understanding Your Diagnosis

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a condition characterized by high blood glucose (sugar) levels.  As with Type 1 diabetes, a Type 2 diabetic does not make enough insulin or their body cannot use it as well as it should.  When there isn’t enough insulin or cells stop responding to it, too much blood glucose remains in your bloodstream.

While there isn’t a cure for diabetes, losing weight, eating healthy food, and being physically active can improve your blood glucose and help reduce the risk of complications.

While Type 1 diabetes may be linked to family genetics, Type 2 diabetes has different risk factors like:

  • Being overweight or obese
  • Age of 45 or older
  • Having limited or no physical activity
  • Family history of diabetes
  • A diagnosis of pre-diabetes or gestational diabetes
  • African Americans, American Indians, Hispanics/Latinos, and Alaskan Natives have a higher risk of developing diabetes(1).

Symptoms

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes may include:

  • Increased urination
  • Increased thirst
  • Increased hunger
  • Feeling fatigued
  • Unexpected weight loss
  • Bumps and bruises are slow to heal
  • Frequent infections

Treatment

Your North Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology provider will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan.  This might include:

  • Medication, a pill, insulin, or a combination of both
  • Regular exercise to maintain a healthy weight
  • Closely monitoring your blood sugar
  • Routine blood tests
Understanding Your Diagnosis

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy.  Like other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes affects how your body’s cells use glucose (sugar).

Gestational diabetes causes high blood sugar that can affect the pregnancy and the baby’s health if left untreated.

Women at risk include those who are overweight or obese, inactive, have pre-diabetes, and those who previously had gestational diabetes during pregnancy.

Symptoms

With most women, there aren’t noticeable signs or symptoms of gestational diabetes.  An increase in thirst and frequent urination are possible symptoms.

Treatment

The goal of a gestational diabetes treatment plan is to keep glucose levels the same as a pregnant woman without gestational diabetes.  A North Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology provider will develop a treatment plan for your specific needs.  The plan may include:

  • Meal planning with healthy foods for both the month and the baby
  • Montoring blood sugar as directed
  • Regular exercise
  • Medication like a pill or insulin
Understanding Your Diagnosis

Pre-Diabetes

Pre-diabetes is a condition where blood glucose (sugar) levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetic.  Pre-diabetes is a warning sign that Type 2 diabetes may be in your future.

Pre-diabetes carries similar risks to Type 2 diabetes, such as:

  • Being overweight or obese
  • Age – Being 45 or older
  • Having a family member with Type 2 diabetes

Symptoms

Many with pre-diabetes do not experience any signs or symptoms; however, some may experience:

  • Increased thirst
  • Increased urination
  • Feeling fatigued
  • Unintended weight loss

Treatment

With a personalized treatment plan, reversing pre-diabetes is possible.  Your plan might include:

  • Reaching a healthy weight
  • Stopping smoking
  • Eating healthy foods and watching carbohydrate intake
  • Increasing your activity level
  • Getting support from people with similar challenges and goals
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions About Diabetes

Everyone’s experience managing diabetes is different.  If you have concerns about controlling your blood sugar and managing complications from diabetes, contact one of our offices today.

The American Diabetes Association recommends a blood glucose range of 80-130 before meals and less than 180 about 2 hours after a meal.  This range should place your A1c under 7.

A Hemoglobin A1c is a 2-3 month average of your blood sugars.  This result gives you a good idea of how well your diabetes is being managed.  The American Diabetes Association recommends an A1c of less than 7 to keep the risk of complications low.

Fruits, starchy vegetables, milk, yogurt, rice, cereals, and other grains all have carbs and give you important nutrients.  Be sure to check the nutrition label on your food picks to determine carbohydrate content.

When your blood sugar is high, it can cause damage to your veins and arteries.  This damage could lead to complications such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, neuropathies (damage or poor function of nerves), and vision problems.

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