Sugar fuels the cells in our body to perform any number of tasks. Once sugar reaches your bloodstream, it takes the form of blood glucose. Having too much or too little in your body can wreak havoc on how things work, resulting in chronic conditions like diabetes, which affects nearly 12% of the United States population with millions of others dealing with prediabetes.
Being diagnosed with diabetes requires changing the way you do things to decrease your risk of complications the disease can cause, but it is possible, and we can help.
If you live in the Beverly Hills, California, area, and you’re struggling with the effects of diabetes on your body, Dr. Shawn Veiseh and his dedicated medical team can help you through the changes and on to live a healthier life.
Let’s start by examining some basic facts about diabetes, the complications that can result from it, and what you can do to reduce the effects this disease can have on your body.
As already mentioned, diabetes results from issues with blood glucose. Specifically, problems due to too little insulin, a chemical your pancreas produces to regulate how much sugar your body has, or a resistance to that chemical.
There are multiple types of diabetes, but the most common is type 2, also known as diabetes mellitus, though many people have a period when their blood sugar levels are close to diabetic but not quite there (prediabetes).
Type 2 diabetes is often a result of bad dietary habits, like eating foods high in sugar, and lifestyle choices like inactivity which often leads to weight gain. Genetics can also play a role in your risk of developing diabetes.
Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, is a common sign of diabetes, but it also comes with symptoms like headaches, increased thirst and hunger, frequent urination, blurred vision, dry mouth, fatigue, and unexplained weight loss.
This illness can affect many different parts of the body, and over time lead to problems like:
HHS occurs when your blood sugar levels are high enough to cause dehydration and require immediate medical attention.
Problems like heart attack, stroke, coronary artery disease, and atherosclerosis can result from diabetes over time
Damage to your nerves can lead to numbness, tingling, and pain in different parts of your body.
Diabetic neuropathy is damage to the blood vessels in your retina that can lead to blindness.
Loss of kidney function can lead to the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Nerve damage can become bad enough to affect your ability to get and maintain an erection.
In addition to various treatments like regular insulin injections, there are many things you can do to take control of your diabetes:
Reducing the weight you carry is an important step in regulating your metabolism and your risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. It’s also vital in your fight against diabetes.
While getting more exercise can help you lose weight, it can also help you use the fuel that comes from the blood glucose your body has too much of. This can reduce insulin resistance and allow it to do what it’s designed to do in lowering your blood sugar.
Dietary fiber is very helpful in slowing blood sugar absorption and keeping levels low, so an increase in fruits, tomatoes, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, and legumes can help your diabetes a great deal.
A lot of fad diets promise to help you lose weight and improve your health in numerous ways, but many of them are only effective in the short term and may actually do more harm if you stick with them. The goal of making dietary changes should be to eat healthier and stick to your dietary goals.
Fats often get a bad rap, as unhealthy fats can harm your body, But, your body needs unsaturated fats, which can be found in fatty fish, nuts, and various vegetable oils.
Losing weight and staying healthy are important steps in reducing the impact of diabetes and lowering your chances of any possible complications. If you have diabetes and need help managing it, make an appointment with Dr. Veiseh and his team today. Call our office or schedule a visit online.
