Diabetes

You can't stop Type 1 diabetes from developing, but you can prevent Type 2 diabetes by catching it at an early stage. However, once diabetes takes hold, it can't be cured, and without diligent care, it causes serious complications. The experienced team at Rural Health Corporation of Northeast Pennsylvania offers comprehensive care for diabetes, from prevention to diabetes education and helping you keep your disease under control. They have 12 offices in Nuremberg, Sullivan Trail Falls, Freeland, Hazleton, Monroe Township, Wilkes-Barre, Shickshinny, and Edwardsville, Pennsylvania. To schedule an appointment, use the online booking feature or call the nearest office today.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that causes high blood sugar. Your blood sugar rises after eating carbohydrates; your pancreas releases insulin, clearing excess sugar from your bloodstream and restoring normal levels.

When your pancreas stops producing insulin or your body can't use insulin, your blood sugar increases and stays at high levels. That's when you have diabetes.

What are the different types of diabetes?

The two primary types of diabetes include:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your immune system attacks the pancreas, and the damage stops the organ from producing insulin. It most often begins in childhood but can also appear in adulthood.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes begins when your body stops using the insulin produced by the pancreas, a condition called insulin resistance. Though the pancreas keeps producing insulin, your blood sugar stays higher than normal.

This type of diabetes usually appears in adults. However, the team also finds Type 2 diabetes in adolescents and young adults, often because being overweight contributes to the problem.

What symptoms does diabetes cause?

All types of diabetes may cause:

• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Increased hunger
• Dry, itchy skin
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss
• Foot sores that don't heal
• Tingling or numbness in your feet

If you have Type 1 diabetes, your symptoms appear quickly. By comparison, Type 2 diabetes develops gradually over many years. For this reason, it may take a long time for people to recognize the signs.

What complications occur due to diabetes?

High blood sugar damages your nerves and blood vessels, resulting in serious health conditions such as:

• Heart disease
• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Chronic kidney disease
• Peripheral artery disease
• Peripheral nerve damage
• Diabetic retinopathy

Without treatment, these conditions lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, vision loss, and foot amputations.

How is diabetes treated?

Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania offers complete care for people with diabetes. They help you prevent Type 2 diabetes with annual physicals and provide long-term diabetes management designed to keep your blood sugar levels in the normal range.

Diabetes treatment may include:

• Diabetes education (how to check blood sugar, carbohydrate monitoring)
• Diet counseling
• Weight loss management
• Medication management
• Continuous glucose monitoring
• Insulin pumps

Some people can keep their blood sugar under control by changing their diet and losing weight, while others might need medication.

Patients with Type 1 diabetes always need insulin; those with Type 2 diabetes may need insulin or other medicines to lower blood sugar.

To learn about your risk for diabetes or to get exceptional care for ongoing diabetes, call Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania or book an appointment online today.