Diabetes Specialist

What is diabetes?

Almost 30 million Americans have diabetes, a medical condition that affects how the body produces or uses insulin. Insulin is an important hormone produced by the body that regulates the transfer of glucose from the bloodstream to the muscles, organs, and other soft tissues. There are 3 different forms of the disease.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce sufficient insulin levels. There are strong hereditary links to Type 1 diabetes and it is typically diagnosed while the patient is a child or young adult.

People with type 2 diabetes don’t process insulin properly. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease, affecting 95% of the people diagnosed with diabetes. This form of the disease is usually diagnosed later in life and has strong links unhealthy lifestyle choices regarding weight, diet, and exercise.

Gestational diabetes is a form of the disease that develops in a woman’s body during pregnancy, causes blood sugar levels to rise, and can endanger both the mother and the child. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after the child is born, but there can be serious complications if it is not monitored and treated by a doctor.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

It is possible for patients to be diabetic but not recognize the symptoms. The American Diabetes Association lists the common symptoms as:

• Feeling excessively thirsting
• Needing to urinate frequently
• Feeling fatigue
• Losing weight unintentionally: Type 1
• Experiencing blurry vision
• Experiencing slow healing of cuts and bruises
• Feeling hungry all the time, even after eating
• Experiencing numbness or tingling in the extremities: Type 2

How does Dr. Boyd treat diabetes?

Dr. Boyd helps his patients manage their disease with customized treatment plans that include lifestyle modifications and medication. Unfortunately, once a person has diabetes, the disease can’t be cured. However, Dr. Boyd helps his patients to lead normal, healthy lives with disease management techniques.

Patients will need to learn to monitor their blood sugar levels at home with a glucose meter and test strips. By keeping track of their meter readings, Dr. Boyd can see the maintenance, or progression of the disease and make adjustments to his treatments where necessary.

While each patient’s experience is unique, there are some common themes to treatment. For example, diet changes involving lowering overall calories consumed and the removal of most sugary and starchy foods. A regular exercise routine as simple as a 20-30 minute brisk walk will help reduce a patient’s blood sugar levels.