Medical Center in Hialeah reveals 3 interesting facts about Diabetes – Part 1

Medical center in Hialeah – The National Diabetes Federation estimates that about 415 million people around the world have diabetes. They predict that this number will drastically increase in the next decade. In response to this alarming projection, scientists and researchers have been striving to discover new ways to prevent and treat diabetes.

Next month, we observe National Diabetes Day which has been created to promote the importance of taking action to confront diabetes. And increase the awareness of the health threat posed by this disease. To widen your knowledge about this chronic condition, in today’s article we are revealing 3 surprising facts about diabetes that you may have not known before.

1. Type 1 Diabetes and type 2 Diabetes – the same name yet different treatment

At our Medical Center in Hialeah we treat patients who suffer from both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. What’s important to remember is that even though both types share the same name, their treatment is very different. Patients with type 1 diabetes are dependent on insulin injections because their immune system attacks. The insulin producing beta cells which leads to the inability of the body to produce insulin at all. Type 2 patients are different because their immune system doesn’t attack the beta cells. Instead, their body is unable to respond to insulin in a proper way and develops an insulin resistance.

Those patients may need insulin injections, however, not in every case. Since their body still produces some insulin, they may end up taking medications that improve the insulin release by the pancreas. They can also lower their insulin resistance by incorporating a healthy diet or being physically active.

2. Diabetes isn’t caused only by eating too much sugar

Many people assume that eating too much sugar is the main cause of diabetes. The truth is that type 2 diabetes is associated with high levels of sugar in the blood, but it’s a complex disease and has various types of causes. Consumption of sugar alone won’t directly cause diabetes. Nevertheless, it will indeed contribute to weight gain and obesity which greatly increases the risk of diabetes. Excess amount of body fat may trigger the release of some proteins from fat cells that interfere with the production of insulin.

As a result, the overworked pancreas may lead to type 2 diabetes by boosting blood sugar. Other reported factors which cause diabetes are genetics, age, and ethnicity. Talk to your doctor at our Medical Center in Hialeah about your risk of getting diabetes and discuss the possible ways to reduce it.

3. Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetes can lead to many different health problems of different parts of the body. One of the most common complications that result from having diabetes is diabetic neuropathy – damage to nerves. Symptoms of this condition vary among the people depending on the type of diabetic neuropathy they have. We can distinguish four types:

Peripheral neuropathy – it affects peripheral nerves in legs and feet; most common symptoms include, but are not limited to: sharp pain, muscle weakness, loss of reflexes, increased sensitivity to touch, a tingling or burning sensation, numbness.
Autonomic neuropathy – it affects autonomic nerves which control the bladder, heart, stomach, eyes, lungs and intestines; common symptoms are issues with bladder, swallowing, slow stomach emptying, increased heart rate, etc.
Proximal neuropathy – it affects nerves in the thighs, hips and buttocks; common symptoms are weight loss, severe pain in the hip and thigh, abdominal swelling, etc.
Focal neuropathy – affects a specific nerve in the body, the nerve may be located in the face, leg, torso; most common symptoms include pain in the shin or foot, double vision, pain in the chest or abdomen, paralysis of one side of the face, etc.1