Diabetes Treatment

In 2021, approximately 38.4 million people or 1 in every 10 people of varying ages in the United States had diabetes. Every year, about 1.2 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes. Despite the alarming numbers, many people with diabetes do not know they have it. Diabetes raises a person’s risk of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation.

At Valley Baptist Medical Center—Brownsville, we’re dedicated to being with you at every step of your health journey. Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with diabetes or are years into your managing the disease, know you are not alone. Our diabetic educator and care team are here to help you live a long, healthy life.

We can help you:

  • Make and accomplish goals.
  • Learn the tools needed to live a full life with diabetes.
  • Talk through and practice managing diabetes in every part of your life.
  • Find medical, mental and emotional support.

Our two-hour gestational diabetes class covers topics such as exercise, possible mother/baby complications, nutrition, preconception counseling, insulin administration and hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia.

Based on participants’ education needs, classes may be up to 10 hours, divided into 1-4 days. Please call 956-698-5546 for class times, information about insurance coverage and if a physician referral may be needed. Self-pay options are also available.

HealthCare is Better Together. We are here for you.

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Address: 1040 W. Jefferson St. Brownsville, TX 78520

What Is Diabetes?

The body breaks down most digested food into sugar (glucose) before releasing it into the bloodstream. Glucose is the body’s primary source of energy. The body signals the pancreas to release insulin when the blood sugar is too high. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar in the body’s cells, muscle and fat, where it can be stored or used as fuel.

With diabetes, the body does not make enough or any insulin or does not use it as well as it should. When blood sugar does not reach the cells or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar builds up in the bloodstream. Prediabetes is characterized by having blood sugar levels higher than the normal range but falls short of the diagnostic criteria for diabetes. People with prediabetes have a significant risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The good news is that healthy lifestyle modifications can help prevent or delay the progression to full-blown Type 2 diabetes.

The most common types of diabetes are Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes. Some of the signs and symptoms of diabetes include:

  • Increased thirst and urination
  • Increased hunger
  • Fatigue
  • Blurred vision
  • Numbness or tingling in the feet or hands
  • Sores that do not heal
  • Unexplained weight loss

Over time, diabetes can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart. Diabetes can also raise a person’s risk for some types of cancer. There are diabetes treatments to help people manage, prevent or delay diabetes and reduce the risk of complications.

What Causes Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes usually develops in children and teenagers, but it may appear in adults, too. Viruses and a combination of genetic factors and environmental triggers may contribute to the onset of Type 1 diabetes. Signs and symptoms of Type 1 diabetes can start quickly in a matter of weeks.

In contrast to Type 1 diabetes, many people with Type 2 diabetes often have no symptoms in the early stages or find out they have the disease until they have diabetes-related health problems, such as blurred vision or heart trouble. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It occurs when the body develops insulin resistance, a condition in which the body, particularly the muscle, liver and fat cells, cannot efficiently use the insulin it makes. Type 2 diabetes is caused by several factors, including obesity, having a family history of diabetes, and smoking and alcohol. Other risk factors for Type 2 diabetes are gestational diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, a hormonal imbalance condition that causes the formation of cysts on the ovaries. Women with PCOS have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is another type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. The hormonal changes of pregnancy cause diabetes along with genetic and lifestyle factors. Although gestational diabetes goes away after pregnancy, it increases a woman’s and her child’s risk for Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Other factors, such as genetic mutations, other health conditions, damage to the pancreas and certain medicines may also cause diabetes.

How To Get Tested for Diabetes?

Blood tests help doctors provide patients with a diabetes diagnosis, including prediabetes and gestational diabetes, and identify the type of diabetes a person has. It is important to note that over-the-counter blood testing equipment, such as a blood glucose meter, cannot diagnose diabetes. If you have symptoms or think you might have diabetes, consult with a healthcare provider right away for a proper diagnosis. A diabetes blood test may include the following:

  • Fasting plasma glucose test
  • A1C test
  • Random plasma glucose test
  • Glucose challenge test
  • Oral glucose tolerance test

Receiving a diabetes diagnosis can be overwhelming, but catching prediabetes early can help you and your doctor manage or delay the disease and prevent complications.

Is Diabetes a Curable Disease?

Although there is no known cure yet for diabetes, there are diabetes treatments to help delay, prevent or manage the disease. However, maintaining a healthy weight, eating nutritious food and having an active lifestyle can go a long way to help delay or manage diabetes.

Taking diabetes medicines, such as insulin, is often part of treating the disease, in addition to lifestyle modifications and medications to treat other conditions a person may have. Weight loss or bariatric surgery may also be an option to lose weight by changing the digestive system.

What Is a Good Sugar Level for a Diabetic?

If you have received a diabetes diagnosis, you should work to have good control of your blood sugar levels to prevent serious health problems. Poorly managed diabetes can lead to diabetes-related amputations or other life-threatening complications. Many people with diabetes aim for the following diabetic blood sugar levels:

  • Before a meal: 80 to 130 mg/dL
  • About 2 hours after a meal starts: less than 180 mg/dL

However, diabetic blood sugar levels may be different for adults over age 65 who have had diabetes for a long time. People with heart disease or those with blood glucose that often gets too low may also have different target blood glucose levels.

Find a Diabetes Doctor in Brownsville

Healthcare is better together. Schedule a visit with a diabetes provider at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Brownsville today. We are here to help you plan a customized treatment plan for your lifestyle and health needs. Let us help you get the right care close to home. If it is an emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Please do not delay care.

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