Diabetes
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Houston Family MD
Board Certified Family Practice Physician located in Houston, TX
Untreated diabetes can cause serious health complications, including problems with your eyes, heart, nerves, and kidney. If you’re at risk of developing diabetes or you’ve been diagnosed with the disease, board-certified family medicine physician Ranjit Grewal, MD, and his expert team are here for you at Houston Family MD in Cypress, Texas. They can diagnose, treat, and help you properly manage diabetes to prevent complications and optimize your quality of life. Schedule an appointment by phone or online today.
Diabetes Q & A
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which your body doesn’t properly control blood sugar levels on its own. With Type 1 diabetes, you don’t make enough insulin to control blood sugar. If you have Type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t respond to insulin the right way. Without treatment, uncontrolled diabetes can cause serious problems for your health.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
While you may not notice anything unusual with diabetes in its early stages, common symptoms that might develop over time include:
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Extreme hunger
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Unexplained weight loss
- Blurred vision
- Slow-healing sores
- Frequent infections
Untreated diabetes can lead to heart disease, nerve damage, kidney problems, eye or foot damage, skin issues, dementia, depression, and other serious complications. That’s why early detection and treatment are crucial.
What are the risk factors for diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes can happen at any age but commonly appears during childhood. Type 2 diabetes is more common in people over 40. Unhealthy lifestyle habits put you at risk of developing diabetes. Examples of risk factors include being overweight, physical inactivity, family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and polycystic ovary syndrome in women.
How does my provider diagnose diabetes?
To find out if you have diabetes, Dr. Grewal reviews your medical history and symptoms. He uses a blood test to check your blood sugar levels and completes a comprehensive physical examination to detect or rule out diabetes-related health issues.
What does my diabetes treatment plan include?
Your personalized diabetes treatment plan at Houston Family MD might include:
Lifestyle changes
Dr. Grewal and his team offer diabetes management and counseling to help you adopt healthy lifestyle changes and better control your blood sugar. Examples include weight loss, dietary changes, regular exercise, and monitoring your blood sugar at home between visits.
Medications/injections
Taking oral medications or using insulin injections (or both) can help you manage blood sugar levels and reduce your risk of diabetes-related complications. Dr. Grewal works with you to find the right medications and dosages to optimize your health.
If you’re at risk of developing diabetes, experience new or unusual symptoms, or have a diabetes diagnosis, schedule an appointment with Houston Family MD by phone or online today.
