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Diabetes

If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, as more than 10% of the United States population have, the primary care team at University Family Medicine Center, P.C. in Pueblo, Colorado, is here for you. They medically manage your condition to control blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of potentially-dangerous complications. Call the office to schedule an evaluation or book an appointment online today.

Diabetes Q & A

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic endocrine disorder, which means it’s caused by a problem with your body’s hormones — chemical messengers that control vital functions like metabolism and reproduction.

With diabetes, the problem hormone is insulin. Your pancreas generates insulin to regulate the levels of sugar in your blood. If you don’t have the right amount of blood sugar, you can suffer serious health problems ranging from peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) to loss of sight.

What causes diabetes?

There are two leading causes of diabetes:

  1. Autoimmune disease: The less common form of diabetes, Type 1, is an autoimmune disorder. A malfunction in your immune system makes it attack the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. It mistakes the cells for a dangerous invader like a virus or bacteria and destroys them, meaning you can no longer make insulin.
  2. Lifestyle: Type 2 diabetes is mainly a result of diet, lifestyle, and being overweight. A diet high in sugar and fat combined with insufficient exercise increases your risk of developing insulin resistance.

Are there different types of diabetes?

Yes. Type 1 diabetes usually starts causing problems at a young age. Type 1 is not preventable, has no cure, and requires lifelong therapy.

Prediabetes is a phase you go through before reaching the stage of having Type 2 diabetes. With prediabetes, your blood sugar is too high, but not yet dangerously so. At this point, the damage is reversible.

Type 2 diabetes generally develops later in life, but it’s been affecting younger people more frequently in recent years. With Type 2 diabetes, your pancreas makes insulin, but your body can’t use it.

What is the treatment for diabetes?

If you have Type 1 diabetes, you must monitor your blood sugar levels and take insulin to control blood sugar. If you have Type 2 diabetes, you need to change your lifestyle, such as diet and exercise modifications.

The team at University Family Medicine Center, P.C. can also ensure you’re benefiting from diabetes management, which includes routine monitoring, blood sugar tests like the A1c, and regular diabetic eye and foot exams. You may need medication or supplementary insulin as well.

To arrange a simple blood test that can diagnose diabetes, call University Family Medicine Center, P.C., or request an appointment online today.