Diabetes Specialist
-
- Tweet
Fauquier Family Practice PLC
Board Certified Family Medicine located in Warrenton, VA
If you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and struggle to maintain your blood sugar levels, Michael T. Lin, MD, and the team at Fauquier Family Practice, PLC, can help. Diabetes results in elevated blood glucose levels, which is harmful to your health over time. To take the first step toward protecting your long-term health, schedule an appointment with at the office in Warrenton, Virginia. You can call the practice or book online today.
Diabetes Q & A
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a group of conditions that affects the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood. More than 9% of Americans are living with diabetes.
Normally, your body uses a hormone called insulin to pull sugar from your bloodstream and use it as an energy source for your cells. So some sugar in your blood is important in keeping your cells healthy. But an excess of blood glucose heightens your risk for several serious health conditions, including:
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Kidney problems
- Eye problems
- Neuropathy
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Depression
Clearly, managing your blood sugar levels is an important part of keeping yourself both physically and mentally healthy. To ensure you’re getting the right treatment to keep your glucose levels from getting too high, your Fauquier Family Practice provider first diagnoses the type of diabetes that’s affecting you.
What are the different types of diabetes?
The two most common types of diabetes are:
Type 1 diabetes
This type of diabetes is caused by an improper immune response in your body. Your immune system attacks the cells in your pancreas that make insulin, leaving you with insufficient insulin to properly utilize the sugar in your blood.
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood or early adolescence.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. It’s usually diagnosed later in life. It’s directly linked to unhealthy lifestyle choices.
In people with type 2 diabetes, cells resist insulin as it tries to convert glucose to energy for them. The body often makes more insulin to try to overcome this resistance, but the body can’t use the extra insulin properly.
Whichever type of diabetes is affecting you, your Fauquier Family Practice provider works with you to put a treatment plan in place that keeps your glucose levels balanced.
How is diabetes treated?
It depends on the type of diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes often need to regularly inject insulin to keep their blood sugar balanced.
But people with type 2 diabetes have sufficient insulin, they just need to enable their body to use it properly. Here, lifestyle changes can make a dramatic difference. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and reaching and maintaining a healthy weight are all highly effective treatments for type 2 diabetes.
Get started with diabetic care by calling Fauquier Family Practice or making an appointment online today.
