Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease that impacts your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. Left unmanaged, diabetes increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart disease and peripheral neuropathy. At Initiare Healthcare Services, based in Jamaica, New York, Evette Facey, NP, regularly diagnoses and treats diabetes using integrative methods of care. If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes and want to improve your quality of life, call the office to schedule a telehealth appointment or reach out online.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is an umbrella term used to describe a group of diseases that impact your body’s ability to regulate blood glucose or blood sugar. Glucose is necessary for your survival because it provides energy for the cells that comprise your muscles and tissue.

However, when you have too much blood glucose, you’re more likely to encounter serious health problems.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

The symptoms of diabetes depend on the type of diabetes you have. Oftentimes, people with Type 2 diabetes don’t experience any symptoms. However, if you have Type 1 diabetes, you’re more likely to notice that something is wrong. Telltale signs of diabetes include:

• Frequent urination
• Increased hunger
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Blurred vision
• Frequent infections

As the condition progresses, you might also experience tingling or numbness in your feet and hands or slow-healing wounds.

Are there different types of diabetes?

There are three different types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. Insulin is a protein that helps regulate your blood sugar levels. There’s no cure for Type 1 diabetes, but it’s manageable with healthy lifestyle changes and prescription medications.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes occurs when your cells become resistant to insulin. Over time, this prevents your body from creating enough insulin to overcome this resistance. Caught early on, it’s possible to treat and even reverse Type 2 diabetes with healthy lifestyle changes.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes only affects pregnant women. When you’re pregnant, the placenta creates hormones that promote a healthy pregnancy. In some cases, these hormones make your cells more resistant to insulin, which can lead to diabetes. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after you give birth, but it can increase your risk of complications during pregnancy.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

To diagnose diabetes, Evette performs a physical exam, asks about the symptoms you’re experiencing, and orders a series of blood tests. Depending on your medical history and overall health, they might recommend a glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test, a random blood sugar test, or a fasting blood sugar test.

How is diabetes treated?

At Initiare Healthcare Services, Evette takes an integrative, whole-body approach to diabetes treatment. For example, she might recommend making healthy lifestyle changes such as eating a diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, exercising more regularly, and getting plenty of sleep.

If you have Type 1 diabetes, Evette can also prescribe insulin and other medications designed to help keep your blood sugar levels in check.

If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, Evette at Initiare Healthcare Services can improve your quality of life. Call the office or make your telehealth appointment online.