Has Diabetes ever been mentioned at family “get togethers”? It’s not the name of a distant relative, but it is one of the fastest growing diseases in our country. If you have a close family member that has been diagnosed with Diabetes then you may be at risk. Diabetes is a chronic lifelong disease caused by an increase of sugar (glucose) in the blood stream. One of the functions of your Pancreas is to produce a hormone called insulin which helps control your sugar levels. If your Pancreas can’t make enough or any at all then you may have Type 1 Diabetes. It’s usually diagnosed in childhood but can be found later on in life. Daily insulin injections are needed to control glucose levels for Type 1. The most common type of Diabetes is called Type 2 and it usually occurs in adulthood. In Type 2 the Pancreas either doesn’t make enough insulin to keep the blood glucose normal or your body doesn’t respond well enough to the insulin it’s making. Being overweight and not getting enough exercise is one of the major causes of Type 2 and it is increasing at an alarming rate in the USA. The third type of Diabetes is called Gestational Diabetes in which increased blood glucose can develop at anytime during pregnancy. Women who develop this type are at increased risk for Type 2 and cardiovascular disease later in life.
Some of the risk factors Diabetes are as follows: being over 45 years of age, having a family member with Diabetes, heart disease, increased cholesterol, obesity, and decreased exercise. If you’re having symptoms such as blurred vision, fatigue, hunger, increased thirst, increased urination, and unexplained weight loss you may want to check with your Dr. Type 2 develops slowly and some people will have no symptoms at all. If you have any concerns, speak with your physician. If they order lab work for you, come and see us at ProHealth. We’re located at 1131 Mack Bayou Rd. and can be reached at 850-267-0360. We also have locations in Ft. Walton, Crestview, Milton, and Pensacola for your convenience.
Take care and be well.
Some of the risk factors Diabetes are as follows: being over 45 years of age, having a family member with Diabetes, heart disease, increased cholesterol, obesity, and decreased exercise. If you’re having symptoms such as blurred vision, fatigue, hunger, increased thirst, increased urination, and unexplained weight loss you may want to check with your Dr. Type 2 develops slowly and some people will have no symptoms at all. If you have any concerns, speak with your physician. If they order lab work for you, come and see us at ProHealth. We’re located at 1131 Mack Bayou Rd. and can be reached at 850-267-0360. We also have locations in Ft. Walton, Crestview, Milton, and Pensacola for your convenience.
Take care and be well.
