Hypertension and Diabetes

Your brain, muscles, and tissue cells use glucose (blood sugar) for energy. But too much glucose leads to health problems, like diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects how the body uses glucose. There are multiple types of diabetes, including:

Prediabetes

Blood work taken during your annual wellness exam with Dr. Mehta includes a check of your blood sugar. If your glucose is high but not high enough to receive a diabetes classification, it’s called prediabetes. You can reverse prediabetes and prevent progression with diet and exercise lifestyle changes.

Type 1 diabetes

Originally called juvenile diabetes, Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition where the pancreas doesn’t create enough insulin. People with Type 1 diabetes require insulin.

When you have Type 1 diabetes, your immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Sugar builds up in the bloodstream when there isn’t enough insulin to transport it to the cells of your body.

Type 2 diabetes

People with Type 2 diabetes, also called insulin resistance, have a body that fails to use insulin properly. The pancreas can’t make enough insulin to overcome the resistance, so sugar builds up in the bloodstream.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes only affects pregnant women. If you have diabetes during pregnancy it may resolve after the baby is born.

The exact cause of Type 1 diabetes is unknown, although it is believed environmental factors and genetics play a role. If you have a parent or sibling with Type 1 diabetes, you have a higher risk of getting it.

If you have prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes, your body’s cells are resistant to insulin. Weight challenges increase your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, but not everyone who has prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes is overweight. 

People with prediabetes or in the early stages of Type 2 diabetes may not have noticeable symptoms. The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes come on quickly and are much more noticeable. Common signs and symptoms of diabetes include: 

• Excessive thirst
• Feeling hungry often
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Frequent urination
• Frequent infections, such as gums, skin, or vaginal infections
• Blurred vision

If Dr. Mehta suspects you have diabetes, urinalysis or blood work is ordered to check for ketones in the urine and the level of sugar in the blood.