Diabetes Care & Treatment

What We Treat

Clancy Medical Group provides diabetes care, testing and counseling. We also offer tools and training to help you manage your diabetes. If blood tests reveal you have pre-diabetes, or are at risk for diabetes, we guide you through the lifestyle changes necessary to lower your risk and achieve healthy blood sugar levels.

Important Diabetes Facts

More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and up to a third of them do not realize it. What’s more, over 50 million have pre-diabetes. On average, these patients develop diabetes within a decade. Proper diet and exercise, however, prevents this.
With diabetics, the pancreas functions incorrectly by either not making insulin or making an insufficient amount of insulin. The two main types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2. Some pregnant women also develop diabetes, commonly called “gestational diabetes.”
In a person with Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas makes little to no insulin, and the patient must take insulin to survive. It occurs most commonly in people under the age of 30. Type 2 diabetes is far more common, as approximately 90 percent of all diabetes patients have Type 2 diabetes. In these patients, the pancreas makes insulin but it does not work properly. Typically, overweight patients over 40 develop Type 2 diabetes.

If you receive a diagnosis of pre-diabetes, following the diet and exercise plan doctors recommend for Type 2 diabetes patients is your greatest defense. For both diabetic and pre-diabetic patients, work with your doctor to formulate your personal plan, but it should follow this basic outline:
• Avoid processed foods, especially carbohydrates, which your body easily breaks down into sugar. Instead, get your carb intake from high-fiber foods with a low glycemic index, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Avoid saturated and trans fatty acids.
• Engage in regular aerobic exercise for two hours each week. For example, 30 minutes of aerobic activity per day, four times per week, helps improve insulin resistance and lower blood pressure.

Why Should I Choose Clancy Medical Group for Diabetes Care?

Clancy Medical Group’s holistic approach to medicine is especially important in diabetes care. This is because treating diabetes requires a well-rounded approach that involves the patient monitoring and managing his or her condition, and we support you each step of the way. We work with you to implement sustainable lifestyle changes, such as adopting healthier diet and exercise habits.

Diabetes Frequently Asked Questions

What causes diabetes?
Causes are unknown, although certain factors increase your risk of developing diabetes. These include whether you have a family history of diabetes, are overweight, or are over 40. Race also plays a role, as African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans have increased risk of diabetes.

How can I manage my diabetes?
Monitor your blood sugar levels daily with home testing kits. This ensures you know when your blood sugar is too high or too low. Manage the condition with a healthy diet and exercise. You may also require medication to control your diabetes. In addition to meal planning and exercise, Type 1 diabetics typically take insulin shots. Type 2 diabetics rarely need insulin shots, although they may take oral medication.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?
Signs of Type 1 diabetes include dry mouth and increased thirst, weight loss, feeling weak or tired, more frequent urination, and blurred vision. With Type 2 diabetes, patients experience the same symptoms, minus the weight loss. Instead, they may be slow-to-heal, have itchy skin, or get frequent yeast infections.

Is there a cure for diabetes?
No, there is no cure for diabetes. Patients may control and manage their condition, but once diagnosed, the disease remains for life. A host of medical issues results from improper diabetes care, including:

• Blindness and eye damage
• Gum disease
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Infections in the feet that may require amputation
• Kidney disease
• Low blood pressure
• Nerve damage leading to pain and loss of sensation

What are the symptoms of low blood sugar?
Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, causes a wide variety of symptoms, depending on the person. Early symptoms let you know you need to eat, including:

• Feeling weak
• Feeling dizzy or hungry
• Trembling or shaking
• Having frightened or anxious feelings
• Heart pounding
• Pale skin

If you fail to pay attention to these symptoms, they exacerbate and may cause you to become confused and uncoordinated, have nightmares, feel cranky, feel numbness in the mouth or tongue, or pass out.