Over 100 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes is a metabolic condition that can lead to numerous chronic health conditions like obesity and neuropathy. Traditional medicine involves lifelong medication to manage diabetes, but at Weston Medical Health & Wellness in Weston, Florida, that’s not your only option. Andrea Bretal, MD, believes diabetes can be prevented and reversed with nutritional and lifestyle changes. Find out if diabetes management could benefit you by requesting an appointment by phone or online today.
What is diabetes?
Your body converts sugar, or glucose, from the food you eat into energy for your muscles, tissues, and brain. Diabetes is a disease that affects your body’s ability to convert glucose to energy.
If you have diabetes, sugar stays in your blood and it’s not converted to energy. Your blood sugar builds up and, over time, causes a variety of health issues.
The most common types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes often develops during childhood and it’s thought to have genetic links. Type 2 diabetes generally develops later in life as a result of lifestyle factors and family history.
Prediabetes is a sign that you’re likely to develop type 2 diabetes within the next few years if you don’t change your lifestyle and seek treatment for conditions like high cholesterol and obesity.
What are common complications of diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that often gets worse over time. It impacts the health of your heart, nerves, skin, and more. Common complications include:
- Heart disease
- Nerve damage
- Foot damage
- Eye damage
- Kidney damage
- Depression
- Alzheimer’s disease
Seeking integrative treatments for diabetes helps slow and may even stop the progression of diabetes. If you have the condition, it doesn’t automatically mean you’ll experience these health complications.
Can diabetes be prevented?
Yes. Certain risk factors like family history, being over 40 years old, and being obese may make it more likely that you’ll develop diabetes or prediabetes. But even if you’re at risk, you can still prevent diabetes.
Weight loss through lifestyle changes and nutrition adjustments can help reduce your risk of diabetes. If you already have type 2 diabetes, it’s possible to improve your condition so much that you can stop taking certain medications and reduce your risk for future complications.
Whether you have diabetes or prediabetes, implementing nutrition changes and new habits into your routine can dramatically transform your life with diabetes. You may not need to take numerous medications for the rest of your life if you’ve received a diabetes diagnosis.
Start holistic diabetes management care with Dr. Bretal at Weston Medical Health & Wellness. Request a consultation online or on the phone today.