When you have diabetes, you are a significantly higher risk for a number of long-term health complications. The International Medical Clinics (IMC) offers multidisciplinary diabetes care for men, women, and children in Atlanta. They offer everything you need for healthy control of your blood sugar under one roof, including internal medicine, laboratory services, diabetic wound care, and more. For comprehensive care of your type 1 or type 2 diabetes, call or schedule an appointment online.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disorder that impacts every system of the body. It affects how the body uses glucose, which fuels every major process in a healthy body.
Diabetes affects the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas. Insulin is the hormone responsible for converting glucose, which is in the foods you eat, to usable energy for the body to use.
When the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, glucose is not handled effectively and accumulates in the bloodstream.
High amounts of glucose in the blood, called high blood sugar, damages the cells, tissues, and organs throughout the entire body. The long-term effects of uncontrolled diabetes are significant.
What is type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the two main kinds of diabetes. They are different in how much insulin the body naturally produces.
- Type 1 diabetes: the body doesn’t produce insulin, and synthetic insulin is necessary to control blood sugar
- Type 2 diabetes: the body produces some, but not enough, insulin. Diet and weight control can improve or treat this type of diabetes.
Another type of diabetes is gestational diabetes, which happens during pregnancy when the body’s demand for insulin is much higher. After pregnancy, gestational diabetes usually resolves without further treatment.
What are the possible complications of diabetes?
Diabetes is a significant risk factor of many long-term severe complications, including:
- Blood clots and stroke
- Heart and vascular disease
- Limb and toe loss
- Slow-healing wounds and gangrene
- Blindness, caused by retinopathy
- Neuropathy, or nerve damage
- Kidney disease and failure
- Suppressed or weakened immune system
You can improve your risks for having these complications by working closing with the team at IMC to prevent and treat your diabetes throughout your lifetime.
How does my health care team help me manage my diabetes?
The team at IMC offer many services that help you manage your diabetes and prevent long-term complications.
The best approach to diabetes care has a multi-disciplinary approach, involving your primary care provider, podiatrist, endocrinologist, physical therapist, and more. IMC offers a variety of services to support your diabetes care, including:
- In-house laboratory services
- Medication management
- Diagnostic imaging
- Diabetic skin checks and wound care
- Wound debridement surgery
- Nutritional counseling
- Weight management
- Regular physicals
- Walk-in blood sugar checks
If you have any questions about our services, please contact us today at (770) 420-8233.