Diabetes

Without expert management, diabetes can cause multiple complications ranging from blindness to limb amputation. The Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC team has offices in Cookeville, Gainesboro, Crossville, and Sparta, Tennessee, providing exceptional treatment for patients with diabetes. Onsite screening is also available to detect the earliest signs of diabetes and help you to reverse them. To arrange a screening test or discuss your diabetes management, call Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC today or book an appointment online.

What causes diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar. There are three main types of diabetes.

Type 1

Type 1 is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system malfunctions and attacks the healthy insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.

The body cannot produce enough insulin to enable the cells to use glucose (sugar), and glucose levels reach dangerous levels in the blood. Once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, Type 1 diabetes often begins in childhood.

Type 2

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease that occurs when the body cannot process insulin correctly. Type 2 is most common among people with excess body weight. It’s more common than Type 1 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes

Some women develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Your provider at Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC can do a simple blood sugar test to diagnose this condition. Treatment includes a healthy diet, exercise, recording daily blood sugar, and monitoring the baby. If your blood sugar remains high, you might need medication as well.

What symptoms does diabetes cause?

The symptoms of diabetes can vary depending on the type of diabetes present. The most common symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Increased urgency to urinate
• Dry mouth and increased thirst
• Delayed healing of cuts and sores
• Itchy skin
• Chronic yeast infections
• Blurry vision

Many people don’t experience any symptoms until diabetes reaches an advanced stage. Or they might assume their tiredness and other vague symptoms are due to aging. 

What are the health risks associated with diabetes?

Without proper management of insulin and glucose levels, diabetes can increase the risks for many serious medical problems, including:

• Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage)
• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• Vision loss
• Diabetic ulcers and limb amputations
• Dementia

Having routine blood tests, using insulin as directed, and making dietary and lifestyle changes are very important for avoiding these complications.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

Diagnosing diabetes is a straightforward process requiring a simple blood test or urinalysis (urine test). 

The Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC team can also test you for diabetic nerve damage, retinal eye damage, vascular disease, and other complications of diabetes.

What treatments are available to manage diabetes?

People with diabetes typically need to monitor their glucose levels throughout the day, using insulin to keep glucose under control. Regular monitoring helps prevent “spikes” in glucose levels that can wind up causing organ and nerve damage and increase other serious risks. 

It’s essential to make lifestyle changes, like following a special diet, losing excess weight, and being more physically active. If you receive your diagnosis early enough, making these changes can reverse your condition. The Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC team offers diabetes screening for the earliest detection of blood sugar problems.

The team may order additional medical tests to screen for other conditions like heart disease, which can be more common among people with diabetes.

To learn more about diabetes management, call the Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC office nearest you or request an appointment online today.