The Truth About Diabetes

So, what is with all the hype about diabetes? Diabetes is a condition where your body is unable to process the sugar obtained from your daily diet, glucose. Insulin is substance inside your body that processes sugar. When it is not present or it does not work, your body is unable to process the sugar and it builds up inside of you. When this happens, your body is not receiving the energy that it needs to make it work. The extra sugar is floating around inside your body and is eventually let out of your body in your urine.

Not processing the sugar that is inside your body can lead to a wide array of symptoms including neuropathy (the inability for your feet to feel pain or pressure), kidney disease, high blood pressure, blindness and heart disease. Any one of these conditions can be debilitating, but a combination of all of them can lead to many health conditions. This is why it is so important to control your sugar by using the treatments that your physician prescribed for you and eating a healthy diet.

Diabetes is a condition that gradually develops new conditions throughout the years. The more uncontrolled your sugar is the more quickly your conditions will develop. By keeping your sugar within the recommended range your doctor suggests, you will be able to drastically slow down the effects of your condition. It is very important that once you are diagnosed with diabetes that you maintain a close relationship with a podiatrist. Through routine foot check-ups, your podiatrist will be able to gauge the rate at which your condition is progressing and make appropriate recommendations to prevent any additional complications including ulcerations and amputations that are commonly caused by diabetic neuropathy.

Each of the above conditions can be treated through the joint effort of your podiatrist and primary care physician. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with diabetes, our office staff would be more than happy to help you schedule an appointment. Through the patient physician relationship that you can form with Dr. Wachtel, he will be able to help you find the best ways to manage your condition and lifestyle. If you live in the Lowell, Methuen, North Andover or Bradford Massachusetts area, please give us a call and we would love to help you get back up on your feet.