Diabetes

Diabetes, a common chronic disease, can lead to life-threatening complications if not managed properly. At JEKS Healthcare Clinic in Abilene, Texas, experienced family nurse practitioner Erik Hargett, FNP, and his team offer treatments that stabilize your blood sugar and lessen the chance of developing severe medical issues. Schedule an in-person, telemedicine, or home-based evaluation by phone or online today.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that reduces your body’s ability to control the amount of sugar in your bloodstream. Over time, high blood sugar can cause organ damage, nerve pain, and bothersome symptoms when not addressed. 

See the JEKS Healthcare Clinic team at the first sign of diabetes or another chronic disease. 

Which symptoms can diabetes cause?

Uncontrolled diabetes can eventually cause the following:

• Extreme thirst
• Unintentional weight loss
• Frequent urination 
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Mood changes
• Feeling irritable
• Blurry vision
• Frequent infections 
• Slow healing sores

Complications linked to long-term uncontrolled blood sugar include heart problems, kidney or liver issues, dementia, eye damage, nerve damage, or skin conditions. You may also develop depression or anxiety because of a diabetes diagnosis.

What are the different types of diabetes?

Type 1 and Type 2 are among the most common forms of diabetes. Type 1 often appears during childhood, when the body doesn’t make enough of a hormone called insulin. 

Type 2 diabetes typically appears over age 40 and stems from carrying excess weight or adopting unhealthy lifestyle habits.

Prediabetes (higher-than-normal) blood sugar develops before diabetes, and gestational diabetes sometimes occurs during pregnancy. 

What may increase my risk of diabetes?

Diabetes risk factors include:

• Family history of diabetes
• Aging 
• Obesity
• Poor dietary habits
• Lack of exercise
• Other unhealthy lifestyle habits

Having a healthy lifestyle is one of the best ways to diminish your chance of prediabetes, gestational diabetes, and Type 2 diabetes.

How is diabetes managed?

Your JEKS Healthcare Clinic provider offers a blood test to evaluate your blood sugar, detect or rule out diabetes, or see how well you’re managing diabetes.

Treating the condition might involve taking medications, using insulin injections or an insulin pump, losing weight if you’re overweight, eating a healthy diet, and staying active. 

The JEKS Healthcare Clinic team can also help you manage high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or other disease risk factors.

Follow up with your provider routinely and check your blood sugar levels at home to ensure effective management of the disease. 

Schedule an in-office, telehealth, or home-based diabetes evaluation with the JEKS Healthcare Clinic experts by phone or online today.