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Let us help you manage it effectively.
Are you losing weight, feeling excessively thirsty and eating more? These are just 3 of the numerous symptoms of diabetes. The doctors at First Physicians in Odessa, Texas are skilled at helping those afflicted by diabetes manage the disease effectively, giving them the best quality of life possible.
First Physicians has 5 locations throughout Odessa to serve you: Wendover Family Medicine, Westview Medical Clinic, East University Family Medicine, Women’s Health, and Occupational Medical Testing. You’ll never have to go far to receive the quality medical care you deserve. If you think you may have diabetes, call First Physicians to schedule an appointment.
Diabetes Q&A
Q: What is diabetes?
A: Diabetes is a term used for a group of diseases that impair the body’s ability to produce insulin or respond to insulin. In both cases, glucose, a.k.a. blood sugar, levels are not being properly regulated by the body. Your pancreas produces insulin to regulate the glucose levels in your body, so it can absorb glucose into the muscle cells for energy or to be converted into fat when necessary.
Maintaining the proper glucose level is crucial to maintaining your health. Too little insulin and our blood sugar levels soar, causing hyperglycemia, which can produce symptoms ranging from lightheadedness to nerve damage or a diabetic coma. Too much insulin causes low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, which is a blood sugar level below 70. Hypoglycemia can lead to seizures and loss of consciousness.
There are 3 types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 is diagnosed if your body makes little to no insulin. It results from your immune system destroying the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Though once called juvenile-onset diabetes, type 1 diabetes can affect people at any age.
The cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, but it is believed to be a combination of genetics and environment. Research points to the possibility that a virus may trigger a process that causes the immune system to attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, shutting down insulin production.
Type 2 diabetes
This type is diagnosed when your body does not make enough insulin for its needs or the body is not using insulin effectively.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by a combination of genetics and lifestyle choices. Excess weight, a sedentary lifestyle, and high-calorie diets are common in type 2 diabetes patients.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is like type 2 diabetes with high blood sugar levels developing during pregnancy. It should be carefully monitored by a doctor to avoid health risks to both mother and baby.
Common symptoms of diabetes include the following:
- Excessive thirst
- Increased hunger
- Frequent urination
- Unexplained weight loss
- Blurred vision
- Fatigue
- Neuropathy: Numbness or tingling in the feet and/or hands
- Slow-healing sores
Q: How will the doctors at First Physicians treat my diabetes?
A: Treatment for type 1 diabetes may include insulin, blood sugar monitoring, diet controls and regular exercise to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Type 2 diabetes treatment can include insulin in more extreme cases, but frequently medications like metformin, glimepiride, and others, along with blood sugar monitoring, a controlled diet, regular exercise and weight loss if necessary, will help control it.