Diabetes Specialist
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Geeta Vaze, MD
Internist located in Huntingdon Valley, PA
If you’re one of the 29 million people in the United States who have diabetes, you know the importance of working with a skilled physician to manage your condition. If you aren’t diabetic, it’s just as important to live a healthy lifestyle to ensure you don’t develop the condition. At her practice in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, Dr. Geeta Vaze offers both management and preventive resources to keep diabetes away or at bay. Schedule a consultation online or by calling the office to learn more about available diabetes treatments.
Diabetes
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition that concerns your body’s ability to process the glucose it gets from the food you eat. If you have Type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t make the necessary insulin hormone it needs to get the glucose into your cells to make energy. If you have Type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or it doesn’t effectively use the insulin it does make.
Type 1 diabetes is often diagnosed in childhood, while Type 2 can affect you at any age, often due to poor diet, an unhealthy lifestyle, and genetics.
Who is at risk for diabetes?
Although the cause of Type 1 diabetes remains a mystery, you may be at increased risk for it if you have a family history of the condition or have the presence of diabetes antibodies in your bloodstream.
There are additional risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes. These factors include:
- Your age
- Being overweight
- Leading an inactive lifestyle
- Having high blood pressure
- Having abnormal cholesterol levels
Some ethnic backgrounds may also be at higher risk for developing diabetes, including Asian-Americans, Hispanics, African-Americans, and American Indians.
You are also at increased risk of developing diabetes if your blood glucose levels are higher than normal without being classed as diabetes, a condition known as prediabetes. If you developed gestational diabetes during a pregnancy, you may be prone to developing Type 2 diabetes later on.
What treatment options are available for diabetes?
If you’re a Type 1 diabetic, you’ll need daily insulin to manage your condition. Dr. Vaze offers diabetes management services to ensure your good health, including guidance on blood sugar testing at home and taking the right dosage of insulin.
For prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes, Dr. Vaze initially may recommend lifestyle changes including incorporating a healthy, low-fat, no-sugar diet into your daily routine. You should also ensure you get enough exercise, at least 30 minutes every day, to help you maintain a healthy weight.
If diet and exercise aren’t sufficient for managing your diabetes, Dr. Vaze may recommend medications to control your blood sugar. You also need to test your blood regularly to ensure your blood glucose levels are well-controlled.
To learn more about available diabetes treatment options, book an appointment online or by phone.