Board Certified Internal Medicine Licensed Florida & Illinois
diabetes
Diabetes rates have been on the rise here in the US for the past few decades. About 1 in 10 people have diabetes, and 1 in 3 have prediabetes. This is a serious health issue that needs to be addressed. While it’s important to have a doctor by your side to help you control and manage your diabetes symptoms, Dr. Norman Gutmann can also step in and help you reduce your risk of developing diabetes over your lifetime.
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes
Diabetes symptoms can be so mild that they go unnoticed. If you do experience any of these symptoms of diabetes, you must turn to a medical professional as soon as possible for an evaluation:
- Increased hunger and thirst
- Frequent urination
- Extreme exhaustion
- Vision changes
- Injuries that don’t heal or are slow to heal
- Itchy skin
- Numbness or tingling in the extremities
- Unexpected weight loss
Early detection and treatment are key to protecting you or a loved one from serious diabetic complications such as nerve damage and amputation. The two main types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2, and they require different treatment options. Again, this is why it’s important to see your doctor right away if you are experiencing symptoms of diabetes.
Risk Factors for Diabetes
Even if you aren’t showing symptoms or seem healthy, it’s still important that you see a doctor once a year for a checkup and bloodwork to make sure blood sugar levels are in check. This is particularly important if you are at risk for developing diabetes. Some risk factors include:
- Being overweight or obese
- Family history of diabetes
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Poor diet
- Being diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Having gestational diabetes (diabetes that occurs during pregnancy)
Treating Diabetes
When caught during the prediabetic stage, Dr. Norman Gutmann may be able to help you reverse this condition through simple lifestyle modifications, including eating a healthier diet, getting regular exercise, and losing weight.
Of course, for those diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, your doctor will need to provide the proper medication and lifestyle changes to help support healthy blood sugar levels. By keeping blood sugar under control, we can prevent serious complications from happening to you.
Preventive medicine is key to a healthy life. If you are at risk for diabetes, then let’s sit down and discuss your risk factors and what can be done to change them.
We can create a lifestyle that supports good health and lessens the chance of diabetes. Schedule an appointment with Norman Gutmann, MD, today if you are in the West Palm Beach, FL area. You can contact Dr. Gutmann via email at docgutman@normangutmannmd.com.