Diabetes Specialist
-
- Tweet
Marina Village Medicine
Medical Clinics located in Alameda, CA
About 10% of adults in the United States have diabetes, and over 33% have prediabetes, a chronic condition that can cause serious health problems if left untreated. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, Jagmohan Khaira, MD and the experienced medical staff at Marina Village Medicine in Alameda, California, can assist you. They test you for high blood sugar, counsel you about ways to reverse prediabetes, and help manage diabetes. If you live in Alameda, Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, San Leandro, Castro Valley, or Hayward, call to learn more or book an appointment online today.
Diabetes Q & A
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when your body can’t properly regulate sugar in your blood, and blood sugar levels are consistently too high. The types of diabetes include:
Type 1 diabetes
If you have type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin, a hormone that helps move sugar from your blood into cells.
Type 2 diabetes
In type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t properly use the insulin it does make. This form of diabetes commonly occurs with increasing age and in people who are overweight.
Prediabetes
If you have prediabetes, your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be classified as diabetes. Prediabetes is the early stage of diabetes.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes happens during pregnancy and may go away after delivery.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
If you have diabetes or prediabetes, you might notice the following symptoms.
- Frequent infections, such as gum or skin infections
- Slow healing wounds
- Extreme thirst or hunger
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Unexplained weight loss
- Blurred vision
If you experience one or more of these symptoms, a provider at Marina Village Medicine tests your blood sugar to find out if your levels are high.
What complications can diabetes cause?
If left untreated, complications associated with consistently high blood sugar can include:
- Heart disease
- Kidney damage
- Nerve damage
- Vision or hearing problems
- Foot problems
- Skin conditions
- Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia
- Depression
- Complications during pregnancy
Fortunately, if you control blood sugar with the proper treatment, your risk of these and other diabetes-related complications significantly decreases.
What are the risk factors for diabetes?
Several factors play a role in the development of diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, such as:
- Older age
- A personal or family history of diabetes
- Being overweight
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Having gout
Gout is a form of arthritis that causes swollen, stiff, and painful joints from uric acid buildup in the body. Research shows that having gout is a strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
How is diabetes treated?
The diabetes treatment that best matches your needs varies by the type and severity of your disease. Your provider at Marina Village Medicine may recommend:
- Lifestyle changes like increasing exercise, losing weight and changing dietary habits
- Oral diabetes medications for type 2 diabetes
- Insulin injections for type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- Following a diabetes diet
- Regular blood sugar monitoring
Healthy lifestyle changes can improve blood sugar even if you’re taking diabetes medications, or reduce the medication dosage you require. If you have prediabetes, lifestyle changes can reverse the condition and prevent diabetes.
Book an appointment with Marina Village Medicine by phone or online to get tested for diabetes or properly manage the disease.
