When you have diabetes, your body doesn't manage your blood sugar correctly. Over time, high or low blood sugar levels are detrimental to your health. Still, you can successfully manage diabetes with the help of our team at Metro Renal Associates in Washington, DC, and Capitol Heights, Maryland.
If you’re dealing with symptoms like dry mouth and excessive urination, you may have diabetes. Dr. Kevin Griffiths, Dr. Cosette Jamieson, and Dr. Oyije Susannah Iheagwara are our three expert nephrologists who offer customized care and diabetic management to keep you healthy.
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition affecting how your body uses glucose in your blood. Your body uses insulin to manage the glucose in your bloodstream. Once in your cells, your body uses glucose for energy.
When you have diabetes, your body doesn't produce insulin in sufficient quantities to control your blood sugar or doesn't use insulin effectively. This can lead glucose to build up in your blood causing high blood sugar.
This causes various symptoms, including:
Your symptoms depend on your glucose levels. The higher your blood sugar rises, the more severe your symptoms become.
There are several forms of diabetes, each of which affects your body differently. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in adolescence or early adulthood and occurs when your pancreas produces too little insulin.
Type 2 diabetes typically happens later in life. If you have type 2 diabetes, your cells don't respond to insulin like they should, causing your blood sugar to rise.
You can also develop diabetes during pregnancy, which is called gestational diabetes. If left untreated, this form of diabetes affects you and your baby.
Unfortunately, there's currently no known cure for type 1 diabetes. If you have type 1 diabetes, you need to manage your blood sugar for the rest of your life, and you likely need to take insulin.
You can, however, go into remission if you have type 2 diabetes. While you'll always be considered diabetic, you can get off medications through a healthy lifestyle.
Even in remission, you'll always be at an increased risk for high blood sugar from underlying issues. However, you can successfully manage the condition with our team's help.
We consider you to be in remission of type 2 diabetes when your hemoglobin A1C is under 6.5% after not taking medication for at least three months.
However, to stay in diabetes remission, you must continue monitoring your blood sugar and meeting with our team.
If you have diabetes and want to reverse it, meet with our team to discuss your options. We can help you with lifestyle changes that allow your body to go into remission from diabetes. Some things that can help you go into diabetes remission include:
Staying physically active is one of the best ways to manage diabetes. Start slow, especially if you've never exercised regularly.
Our team helps you develop a workout plan to keep your blood sugar under control. You can start by walking daily and work up to weight training and more vigorous exercise.
Losing weight is another critical component of keeping diabetes in check. When you lose weight, your body uses insulin more effectively. If you're obese or overweight, we can help you develop a weight loss plan to help you achieve remission from diabetes.
Your diet plays a significant role in your weight, whether you have diabetes or not. However, it's even more vital when you have diabetes, as you should monitor carbohydrates and sugar intake.
Aim to have a balanced diet of healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. You also want to watch your caloric intake to maintain a healthy weight.
If you're concerned about diabetes, don't hesitate to call one of our offices today. You can also send the team a message using our convenient online tool.
