Get Well Wednesday: Why Diabetes Kills

If diagnosed with diabetes, do you have to take medication for the rest of your life, or can it be reversed with diet and exercise?

You don’t necessarily need to take medications for the rest of your life. A key is making sure you eat a healthy diet, exercise and keep your weight down. Some are able to come off of their diabetic medications if sugars are controlled!

Hi Doc, could you talk about PREVENTION of diabetes as well?

Absolutely! prevention is KEY for diabetes. Make sure to eat a healthy diet, exercise, maintain a healthy weight and get regular check-ups by your doctor!

I have type 2 diabetes my A1 goes up and down. My doctor wants to put me on insulin. I refuse because it’s coming down. What should I do?

I recommend that you follow your doctor’s advice.

Is  insulin available in pill form? I don’t want to give myself shots.

Insulin, right now, is in the form of injections only.

My pancreas stopped producing enough insulin so I take shots. Is there anything I can do to get off the shots?

It depends on the type of diabetes you have and other factors. This is an important question so make sure you talk with your doctor about it.

My wife had gastric bypass and lost 160 pounds. Her diabetes has been gone for 2 years. 

Yup. That can happen!

I have a family history of diabetes on both sides. Should I get tested?

Yes, you should.

Does long term use of diabetes medication and/or insulin weaken the body and eventually cause death?

No. Treating diabetes with the proper meds helps you LIVE!

My doctor diagnosed me as pre-diabetic. What can I do to reverse that?

Lose weight, exercise and eat a healthy diet.

Dr. Jen, What about hypoglycemia and low blood sugar?

Low blood sugar can happen in people who are diabetic. This can be very dangerous, so if this happens to you, seek medical care immediately.

Is it normal to gain weight when starting insulin?

Sometimes this can happen. Talk to your doctor about your weight gain – a proper medical evaluation will be important to see what the causes could be.

Question for Dr. Jen: Do you find that the expense of proper nutrition and the inability to follow nutritional guidelines is a barrier for proper care of diabetes?

Sometimes, yes.

Good morning. My great-grandmother and father both have Type 2 diabetes. How often should I get checked for diabetes?

– the US Department of Health and Human Services says to get screened at some point before 45 years old if you are overweight or have the following:

-High blood pressure

– High cholesterol

-family history of diabetes

-African- American, Asian- American, Native American or Paxific islander or Latino/Hispanic- American

– history of diabetes in pregnancy

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

-urinating a lot

– thirsty

-hungry

-extreme fatigue

-blurry vision

-wounds are slow to heal

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