Diabetes Specialist
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Essencia Family Practice and Immediate Care Clinic
Olusesan Olotu, MD
Family Medicine located in Carrollton, TX
The symptoms of diabetes are often vague and not worrisome, so you might not even know you have the condition until your doctor discovers it. If your family history, age, or weight put you at risk for diabetes, the Essencia Family Practice and Immediate Care Clinic team can test you at their Carrollton, Texas practice. Call them or book online to schedule a diabetes screening with them and get your answers.
Diabetes Q & A
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which your body has trouble processing glucose from your diet.
Your body either has a problem making enough insulin to shuttle the glucose to your cells, or your cells aren’t receptive to the insulin. As a result, glucose accumulates in your blood to higher-than-normal levels.
These insulin problems differentiate the three forms of diabetes:
- Type 1 diabetes: the pancreas produces little or no insulin
- Type 2 diabetes: your body doesn’t produce enough or use insulin correctly
- Gestational diabetes: high blood sugar during pregnancy, which can sometimes turn into type 2 diabetes
What causes diabetes?
Scientists still haven’t been able to pinpoint the direct cause of diabetes, but they suspect specific factors like genetics and environmental exposures increase your risk of developing it.
The risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include:
- Being overweight
- Lack of physical activity
- A sibling or parent with diabetes
- Age 45 or older
- Prediabetes diagnosis
What risks does diabetes pose?
If your blood sugar levels remain consistently high, it can start to have a negative impact on your other organs and bodily systems.
If you’re unable to keep your blood sugar levels in a normal range, diabetes can lead to:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Eye damage
- Kidney disease
- Neuropathy, or nerve damage
- Frequent infections
- Alzheimer’s
- Depression
How is diabetes treated?
Treatment depends on the type of diabetes you have and how your body responds to insulin and lifestyle adjustments.
Type 2 diabetes
Diet and exercise are two fundamental tools for managing type 2 diabetes. Medication can also help you regulate your blood sugar levels, where healthy lifestyle changes fall short.
Type 1 diabetes
Adults and children with type 1 diabetes have to use insulin for the rest of their lives. They also have to monitor their blood sugar levels and what they eat to stay within a healthy range.
Gestational diabetes
Most moms-to-be can manage their blood sugar levels through diet, exercise, and blood glucose monitoring. In severe cases, you may need to take medication to stabilize your glucose levels.
Essencia Family Practice and Immediate Care Clinic screens for diabetes at their Carrollton, Texas, practice. Call or book an appointment online to get tested for or to get help managing your diabetes.
