Diabetes Specialist
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IMAC Medical Group
Primary Care Practice & Geriatric Care Specialists located in Newhall, CA
Roughly 10% of Americans — including children — have some form of diabetes. If you have diabetes, it can drastically increase your risk of developing kidney disease and other chronic conditions. Get your health on the right track by getting expert diabetes management care from Raymond Dorio, MD, at IMAC Medical Group in Newhall, California. Dr. Dorio offers comprehensive diabetes treatments and can help you get your blood sugar under control. Book your diabetes evaluation online or over the phone today.
Diabetes
What causes diabetes?
Since the cells in your body rely on blood sugar, also called glucose, to get the fuel they need to do their jobs, your pancreas works tirelessly to produce insulin — the hormone responsible for glucose absorption. In some cases, your pancreas can’t produce insulin, as with Type 1 diabetes.
At other times, you have enough insulin in your body, but your cells don’t use it well or your body becomes resistant to it, as with Type 2 diabetes. You can develop this chronic, life-long condition due to:
- Viral infections
- Family history of diabetes
- Being overweight or obese
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- High cholesterol and triglycerides
Women sometimes develop temporary diabetes during pregnancy. This condition, known as gestational diabetes, tends to resolve shortly after giving birth.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
Yes, although the symptoms you have aren’t always drastic or specific to diabetes, so you might overlook them. You may experience:
- Frequent urination or increased thirst
- Fatigue, irritability, or extreme hunger
- Unexplained or unplanned weight loss
- Slow-healing sores or frequent infections
The symptoms you notice — and their severity — will depend on how much your blood sugar is elevated.
What is the treatment for diabetes?
Dr. Dorio may run some laboratory tests to help diagnose your condition first. While several types of diabetes tests exist, one of the most common kinds is the A1C test.
This blood analysis can determine your average blood sugar level over the previous three-month period, which can help confirm a diabetes diagnosis.
Once Dr. Dorio has a better understanding of your condition and earlier medical history — especially if you’ve previously been diagnosed with diabetes — he can design your diabetes treatment and management plan. This can include:
- Weight loss counseling and planning
- Nutrition and dietary counseling
- Learning when and how to monitor your blood sugar
- Daily insulin injections or an insulin pump
Sometimes, particularly with Type 2 diabetes, prescription medications can help. Diabetes medications can stimulate insulin production, prohibit glucose release from your liver, or block the breakdown of carbohydrates.
If you’re a candidate for diabetes medications, Dr. Dorio will discuss all of your options and schedule follow-up appointments to ensure the medication is working properly.
To get a diabetes exam, book an appointment with IMAC Medical Group online or over the phone today.
