Diabetes Management

Juris Medicus has board certified internal medicine specialists who routinely diagnose and treat patients with diabetes. Our panel endocrinologist is additionally fellowship trained in endocrinology and metabolism and is a leading researcher in diabetes and glandular disease.

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how the body releases insulin to turn food into energy. If one has diabetes, their body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use the insulin it makes as well as it should. When there isn’t enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in the bloodstream. Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, kidney disease, nerve damage, and decreased wound healing.

There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (diabetes in women while pregnant):

Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction where the body attacks itself by mistake and stops making insulin. This type is usually diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults and requires an individual to take insulin every day to survive.

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed when an individual’s body doesn’t use the insulin it produces well and therefore cannot keep blood sugar at normal levels. This form of diabetes can be prevented or delayed with healthy lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, eating healthy food, and being active. Some individuals with type 2 diabetes may also control their blood sugar levels with insulin and/or prescribed oral medications.

Gestational diabetes develops in pregnant women who have never had diabetes. This type of diabetes usually goes away after birth but can increase the mother’s risk for type 2 diabetes later in life. A baby born to a mother with gestational diabetes may have obesity as a child or teen and is also more likely to develop type 2 diabetes with age.