Diabetes Care in Ocala

If you have type I diabetes, your body doesn’t produce insulin. And without insulin, your body cannot get glucose from the bloodstream into your body’s cells. You’ll need insulin treatment — either injections or an insulin pump to keep your blood sugar at safe levels.

Uncontrolled diabetes can cause complications that can lower your life expectancy and limit your quality of life. The diabetes team of endocrinologists, dieticians and other specialists at AdventHealth Ocala will work with you to find the right course of treatment for you, and to help you make lifestyle changes needed to stay as healthy as possible.

Symptoms of type I diabetes often strike suddenly and can include:

• Blurry vision
• Frequent need to urinate
• High blood sugar level
• High level of sugar in the urine
• Increased thirst
• Loss of weight despite increased hunger
• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Nausea or vomiting
• Weakness or fatigue

In addition to insulin treatment, diabetes management strategies can include:

• A healthy eating and exercise plan
• Frequent monitoring of Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels
• Monitoring blood sugar levels closely each day
• Monitoring ketone levels in the urine

Type 2 diabetes, which is by far the most common type, is caused when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t respond to insulin correctly. This leads to high levels of glucose in the blood (high blood sugar).

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes can include:

• Blurry vision
• Dry or itchy skin
• Fatigue
• Frequent thirst

• High sugar level in blood and urine
• Increased urination
• Nausea/Vomiting
• Slowly-healing bladder infections and skin infections
• Tingling or numbness in the hands
• Unexplained weight loss

Genetics may play a role in type 2 diabetes, but some risk factors are preventable, such as obesity, a high-sugar or high-fat diet, and physical inactivity. You may need insulin treatment to control type 2 diabetes, but lifestyle changes can often reduce or even prevent the need for it.

Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes can lower your life expectancy and quality of life. You’ll need to monitor your blood sugar at home and regular HbA1c testing to ensure your diabetes is well controlled. Our diabetes team will create a treatment and management plan and ensure you have the resources and support you need to follow it.

A nerve disorder affecting nearly half of all people with diabetes, diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by high blood sugar. Symptoms can include numbness, pain, nausea, sexual impotence and even paralysis.

The longer you live with diabetes, the more likely you are to develop diabetic neuropathy. It can often be prevented with good management of diabetes and medication.

There are three types of diabetic neuropathy:

• Diffuse autonomic neuropathy – affects nerves in the internal organs, sweat glands, digestive system and urinary tract
• Diffuse peripheral neuropathy – affects the legs, feet and hands
• Focal neuropathy – affects one part of the body and a single, specific nerve

Treatment for neuropathy focuses on preventing further damage and relieving the symptoms. We’ll work with you to create a treatment plan that may include:

• Antidepressants
• Medication for dizziness
• Medication for gastrointestinal, urinary and sexual problems
• Medication for pain
• Relaxation training
• Topical cream
• Transcutaneous electronic nerve stimulation therapy (TENS)

Diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves, resulting in problems in the feet. Numbness can prevent you from feeling injuries and ulcers. And, because of limited blood flow, wounds may not heal well, leading to infection, gangrene and even amputation.

You’ll need to keep your feet clean and dry, and check them every day. The diabetes care specialists at AdventHealth Ocala will make sure you know how to care for your feet to prevent further damage and manage symptoms so you can stay mobile and active.

Over time, diabetes can lead to eye damage, including:

• Blindness
• Cataracts
• Diabetic Macular Edema
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Glaucoma

To prevent these problems, you’ll need to make sure your blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure are well controlled. You’ll also need regular dilated eye exams to check for damage so that it can be promptly treated. Dilated eye exams are part of regular diabetes monitoring at AdventHealth Ocala.