Diabetes is a condition that affects millions of people in this country, but may be preventable for many. Dr. Edriss Estimé of Clermont Internal and Cosmetic Medicine in Clermont, Florida, works with his patients to create healthy lifestyle habits that help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. For those who do have this disease, he helps them find ways to understand and successfully manage their condition.
Type 2 diabetes is when your body cannot process insulin properly. The human body utilizes glucose, or sugar, to fuel the cells. When a person develops type 2 diabetes, the cells begin to resist this process. As a result, the levels of sugar in the blood builds up, circulating and potentially causing damage. Type 2 diabetes is more common for older individuals, and is more prominent in African-Americans, Hispanics, American-Indians, and Asians.
The exact cause of type 2 diabetes is unclear, but medical science recognizes some key risk factors such as:
People with type 2 diabetes have cells in their body that become resistant to insulin. Think of insulin as a key that unlocks the door to these cells to let sugar in to be metabolized. When a person has type 2 diabetes, it's like the key stopped working and the door won't open.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. When insulin works properly, sugar enters the cells and levels in the blood stream drop. When insulin doesn't work, the patient's blood sugar levels become dangerously high and the cells have no fuel for energy.
Developing type 2 diabetes can lead to long-term complications, which is why Dr. Estimé screens for it. Some of the complications include:
Dr. Estimé can help prevent these problems by working with you to create a treatment plan, and help you develop healthy lifestyle habits to manage your weight, eat right, and stay active.
