Diabetes Q & A

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition that affects how your body processes the sugar (glucose) it gets from the foods you eat.

Typically, you would produce enough insulin (a hormone) to convert sugar into energy that supports your body’s overall function. However, when you have diabetes, this process doesn’t work correctly.

There are four types of diabetes, including:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes results when your body doesn’t make enough insulin to control your blood sugar levels because of dysfunction in your immune system. Your immune system mistakenly attacks cells in your pancreas, the organ that produces insulin.

Often, this type of diabetes starts in childhood, but adults can also develop the condition later in their life.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes develops when your body can’t make enough insulin to control your blood sugar levels, or it can’t use the insulin it produces efficiently.

This type of diabetes most often results from an unhealthy lifestyle, a poor diet, and weight challenges.

Prediabetes

Prediabetes describes a condition where your blood sugar levels are abnormally high but not high enough to be considered diabetes.

Poor lifestyle choices and obesity put you at increased risk for prediabetes. Without preventive care, this condition can progress to Type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes refers to high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. This condition generally resolves after childbirth, but it can put you at risk for Type 2 diabetes.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

The symptoms of diabetes can change based on how elevated your blood sugar levels are. Common symptoms include:

• Extreme hunger

• Increased thirst

• Frequent urination

• Blurry vision

• Slow-healing sores

• Persistent fatigue

Without proper management, diabetes can lead to serious health complications, including blindness and permanent nerve damage.

Dr. Rezvani can customize a treatment plan to keep your diabetes well-controlled and prevent risk for related complications.

How is diabetes treated?

Your treatment plan for diabetes depends on the severity and duration of your condition. Dr. Rezvani has extensive experience treating a broad spectrum of challenging diabetes cases.

If you have Type 1 diabetes, you will need to take insulin for the rest of your life to regulate your blood sugar levels.

However, with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes, treatment may initially involve lifestyle changes, diet modifications, and daily exercise to help you lower blood sugar levels naturally and achieve a healthy body weight. If these strategies aren’t enough to control Type 2 diabetes, you may also need to take medications.

Dr. Rezvani provides resources so that you can check your blood sugar levels at home. You also need to visit the office for routine blood work to ensure treatment is working and can schedule regular telehealth visits to discuss any diabetes-related health issues you experience.

To schedule an appointment for diabetes care with Mohammad Rezvani, M.D. in Culver City, California, call or book online today.