Diabetes Specialist
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Gulf Coast Internists
Internist located in New Port Richey, FL & Palm Harbor, FL
Diabetes results in high levels of blood sugar that can do serious damage to your body if left unchecked. With successful diabetes management from Cristobal Rosario, MD, PA, and his team at Gulf Coast Internists in New Port Richey and Palm Harbor, Florida, you can improve your quality of life and avoid complications like vision problems, heart disease, and nerve damage. To find out if you have diabetes and what you can do to manage it, call Gulf Coast Internists or request an appointment online today.
Diabetes
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease affecting your body’s ability to process the sugar in your blood, called glucose. Glucose comes from the food you eat, and your body uses it for energy. The energy from glucose help your organs function and allows you to think and move.
The key to this process is insulin, a hormone that is produced by your pancreas. Insulin removes the glucose from your blood and delivers it to your cells. If you don’t have enough insulin or if your pancreas doesn’t make any, you develop diabetes.
If you have diabetes, you have one of these three forms:
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes usually appears early in life and occurs when your immune system attacks the insulin-making cells in your pancreas.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes develops if your body can’t produce enough insulin for the sugar in your blood or doesn’t use it effectively. It’s the most common type and can appear at any time in your life.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that pregnant women develop. It often resolves on its own after you give birth.
What are some early signs of diabetes?
Diabetes can be difficult to detect in its early stages if you aren’t familiar with the signs and symptoms. A few early indications of diabetes include:
- Frequent or uncontrolled urination
- Thirst and dehydration
- Increased hunger
- Fatigue, tiredness, or weakness
- Slow wound healing
- Mood swings
- Blurry vision
- Numbness or tingling in your extremities
- Yeast infections
If you or a loved one experiences one or more of these symptoms, you should book an appointment at Gulf Coast Internists. Type 1 diabetes symptoms tend to set in suddenly while Type 2 diabetes symptoms appear gradually and may be hard to notice at first. In either case, early diagnosis is essential to preventing complications.
How is diabetes treated?
The team at Gulf Coast Internists evaluates your condition and identifies the type of diabetes before starting treatment. In many cases of Type 2 diabetes, you can manage your condition by making changes to your diet and lifestyle. The team might suggest losing weight and exercise before prescribing any medications for your diabetes.
People with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin to treat their condition. For better disease management, the team might also give you suggestions for lifestyle improvements like more exercise or a specific diet.
For more information about diabetes and diabetes management, call Gulf Coast Internists or book an appointment online today.
