Diabetes

More than 25% of adults 65 and over have diabetes, and more than half may have prediabetes. If you have diabetes or are concerned about the disease, contact Frontier Adult Day Care, an adult care and primary care facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team offers customized treatments to control your disease and restore your health. To learn more about diabetes care for yourself or a family member, call Frontier Adult Day Care or request a consultation online today.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is an increasingly common disease that affects the way your body uses insulin to convert glucose into energy. When your blood sugar levels are frequently or continuously elevated, it increases your risk of health problems such as:

• Neuropathy (nerve damage)
• Foot problems (non-healing wounds)
• Eye conditions, including vision loss
• Kidney disease
• Heart disease 
• Stroke

There are several types of diabetes, including Type 1, Type 2, and prediabetes:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes, occurs when your pancreas doesn’t produce insulin. The condition is hereditary and is due to an autoimmune disease that destroys the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. 

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood, although it’s becoming more prevalent in children and adolescents. Type 2 diabetes develops when your body stops using insulin efficiently. This form of diabetes does have hereditary factors, but your lifestyle primarily contributes to the disease.

Prediabetes

Prediabetes occurs when your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. At this stage, you can prevent full-blown diabetes by changing your lifestyle.

What are the warning signs of diabetes?

Diabetes can cause a variety of symptoms, including:

• Increased thirst and hunger
• Frequent urination
• Fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Slowly healing cuts and bruises
• Numbness, tingling, or pain in your feet or hands

Type 1 diabetes symptoms usually emerge suddenly. Type 2 diabetes may be asymptomatic in its early stages, with signs only emerging gradually as your disease progresses. 

How is diabetes treated?

At Frontier Adult Day Care, the providers offer highly customized treatment plans for diabetes. You need to take insulin if you have Type 1 diabetes. However, if you have Type 2 diabetes, you may be able to avoid taking insulin and regulate your blood sugar with lifestyle modifications. 

For example, your provider can help you adjust your diet to cut out unnecessary sugars, which reduces the burden on your body. Additionally, regular moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk, can help your body convert blood sugar more efficiently. 

Both changing your diet and adding exercise to your daily routine will help you lose weight, which reduces another contributing factor to Type 2 diabetes. 

Call Frontier Adult Day Care or make an appointment online today if you’re looking for expert, customized treatment for diabetes.