DIABETES

Without the right management strategies, diabetes can lead to vision loss, stroke, nerve damage, and other serious health problems. At Reliant MD Group in Leesburg, Virginia, Suman Manchireddy, MD, FACP, FHM, and the rest of the team provide comprehensive diabetes management for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. 

What is diabetes?

You might have heard your health care provider talk about the cholesterol levels in your blood, but what is it? Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that you can find in all the cells of your body. You need some of it because it helps you make essential hormones and digest your food. 

Having high cholesterol means that you have too much cholesterol in your blood. It can lead to deposits of buildup in your blood vessels. Those deposits can break loose and form clots, putting you at a higher risk of getting a heart attack or a stroke. 

The specific type of cholesterol that can build up in your blood vessels is called low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol. Another type, called high-density lipoprotein (HDL), can help remove excess bad cholesterol.


What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

There are two main types of diabetes that both lead to too much blood sugar. However, the ways in which they lead to an abundance of blood sugar are different. 

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes develops when your immune system wrongfully attacks the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. The result is that your body has no natural insulin to use in the regulation of blood sugar.


Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes usually develops a bit later in life than type 1. Your body still makes insulin, but it cannot use it effectively. If you’re obese, you’re at higher-than-average risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

There are other, less common types of diabetes, too, including gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes appears during pregnancy and often goes away after you give birth.


How can I manage my diabetes?

The team at Reliant MD Group helps you learn to manage your diabetes and avoid the health problems that can develop because of it. Your diabetes management plan focuses on controlling the amount of sugar in your blood.

If you have type 1 diabetes, you need to inject or inhale artificial insulin daily to make up for the lack of natural insulin in your body. Your provider at Reliant MD Group might also recommend dietary changes and regular exercise to help you manage your condition.

Not all patients with type 2 diabetes need to take insulin. In many cases, lifestyle changes or weight loss alone is enough to help you manage your condition. Your provider may also prescribe oral or injectable medications if lifestyle changes aren’t enough to reduce your blood sugar levels.

To find out more about diabetes management for either type, book an appointment by phone or online at Reliant MD Group today.