How can you tell if you have diabetes? Diabetes symptoms may occur over time, or they may appear suddenly.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a lifelong, metabolic disease defined by an excessively high level of blood glucose (blood sugar) that over the long haul, can cause severe damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nervous system.

There are a few types of diabetes, though the most prevalent forms are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. They differ based on origin. You may experience sudden symptoms of diabetes or receive an unexpected diagnosis due to chronic but obscure symptoms. Most early indications result from increased glucose levels, a kind of sugar, in your blood.

Type 1 diabetes is most often diagnosed in children and young adults when the pancreas becomes incapable of producing insulin. Patients must monitor their blood sugar levels via daily self-administered insulin injections.

Type 2 diabetes, the disease’s most prevalent form, typically develops in adults. The disease manifests when the pancreas can’t produce enough insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar, or when the body becomes unable to use the insulin it manufactures efficiently.

Over the past three decades, the number of people living with diabetes worldwide has increased fourfold. More th

an 29 million people in the United States have diabetes, including almost 12 million adults aged 65 and older.

The Early Signs of Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

In type 1 diabetes, the immune system starts to recognize insulin-producing beta cells as a foreign entity. The immune system destroys those beta cells over time, and they become unable to produce the required insulin to feed the muscles, organs, and fat cells.

Risk factors that increase the onset of type 1 diabetes include:

• Family history: Type 1 diabetes involves a genetic susceptibility to developing the disease; if a family member has had type 1, you are at a higher risk.
• Viral infections: Certain viruses (such as German measles, coxsackie, and mumps) may trigger the development of type 1 diabetes by causing the immune system to turn against the body.
• Race/ethnicity: In the U.S., Caucasians seem to be more susceptible to type 1 than African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans.
• Geography: People who live in northern climates seem to be at a higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can come on suddenly and include:

• Increased thirst and frequent urination – When diabetes escalates your
  blood sugar, your kidneys may not be able to resolve the situation. Thus, the body produces more urine, which requires increased fluids. The result: you’ll need to urinate more often, and as a result, you can get very thirsty. And when you drink more, you’ll need to urinate more often as well.
• Severe hunger – If your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or if your cells resist the insulin your body produces, the glucose can’t permeate the tissues. Subsequently, you will experience decreased energy, increased hunger, and lethargy.
• Dry mouth and itchy skin – Because your body is using fluids to make urine, there’s less moisture for other bodily functions. You may get dehydrated, and your mouth may feel dry. Dry skin can also make you itchy.

Other early symptoms of type 1 diabetes include:

• Unintended weight loss
• Sudden bed-wetting in children
• Irritability and mood swings
• Fatigue and weakness
• Blurry vision

Type 2 Diabetes

Age, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and family history influence the onset of diabetes. With type 2 diabetes, your pancreas produces relativelynormal amounts of insulin. However, your body is unable to use insulin effectively. As a consequence, blood sugar control is abnormal, primarily due to insulin resistance.

You are more likely to develop type 2

Are overweight or obese

• Are 45 years of age or older
• Have a family history of diabetes
• Are African American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander
• Have high blood pressure
• Are not physically activediabetes if you:
• Have a history of heart disease or stroke

Type 2 diabetes is often preventable by taking several simple steps: keeping weight under control, exercising more, eating a healthy diet, and refraining from smoking.

Early signs of type 2 diabetes include:

• Yeast infections – Yeast infections can occur in both men and women with diabetes. Yeast feeds on glucose, so excess glucose makes it thrive. Infections can grow in any warm, moist fold of skin, including:
  • Between fingers and toes
  • Under breasts
  • In or around sex organs
• Slow healing of cuts and wounds – High levels of sugar in the blood can damage the body’s nerves and blood vessels, which can impair blood circulation. As a result, even small cuts and wounds may take weeks or months to heal. Slow wound healing also increases the risk of infection.
• Increased hunger – Your body uses the glucose in your blood to feed your cells. Type 2 diabetes impedes this process, which prohibits your cells from absorbing glucose. As a result, your body is continually looking for more fuel, causing persistent hunger.
• Nerve pain or numbness – You are likely to experience this after years of living with diabetes, but it can be a first sign for many.
• Blurred vision – Blurred vision usually occurs early in unmanaged diabetes. It can be a result of sudden high blood sugar levels, which affect the tiny blood vessels in the eyes, causing fluid to seep into the lens of the eye.
• Dark skin patches – Dark, velvety discoloration in the folds of your skin is called acanthosis nigricans. It’s most common in the armpits, neck, and groin regions, and the skin also becomes thickened.

Early signs of type 2 diabetes may also include:

• Frequent urination, including during the night
• Extreme thirst
• Unexplained weight loss

If you suspect that you are experiencing any of the early signs of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it’s essential to consult with your doctor as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and swift treatment can significantly reduce the risk of life-threatening complications.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need additional information.

Our physicians were selected as some of Orlando’s leading physicians as chosen by readers of Orlando Family Magazine in their 2019 Reader’s Choice poll for Top Physicians.

The 2019 Reader’s Choice Top Physicians list includes 254 physicians across more than 45 specialties throughout our community who make the health of their patients their top priority.

This year, Windermere Medical Center is partnering with Toys for Tots to help less fortunate children in our community. We need your help before Monday, December 18!

The US Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Program collects new, unwrapped toys during November and December each year, and distributes them as Christmas gifts to disadvantaged children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

Monday, December 18 is the last day for us to accept new toy donations.

Please bring your toy donations to our office before then. Your generous gift will bring hope to less fortunate youngsters in our community and contribute to bettering the lives of our country’s most valuable resources – our children.

Every two seconds, someone in the world has a stroke, making it the second leading cause of death globally — more than 6 million people die from stroke every year. Stroke kills more people each year than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. In fact, stroke is more common than most people think: one in five women and one in six men are at risk of a stroke throughout their lifetime.

For stroke survivors, serious life challenges persist, with many stroke patients living with some form of permanent disability, and facing social isolation, a lack of psychological and emotional support, and depression.

However, good news and a silver lining are close at hand. According to the American Stroke Association, 80% of strokes are preventable. The key is to raise awareness and improve education about stroke diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

What Is a Stroke?

Stroke is a neurological emergency that carries a risk of morbidity and death. It comes about when the blood supply to the brain is impeded by the accumulation of fatty acids along the walls of an artery. Our brain cells can get damaged or be destroyed when denied oxygen-rich blood, and adversely affect the body’s core functions including:

• Movement
• Speech
• Thought
• Sensation

Stroke can occur in all age groups. Studies report the risk of stroke doubles for each decade between the ages of 55 and 85. But strokes also can happen in childhood or adolescence.  Blood circulation to the brain can be hindered in two ways and result in two types of stroke, ischemic (clots) and hemorrhagic (bleeding).

Ischemic strokes make up roughly 87% of all stroke cases. When blood vessel walls become clogged, blood flow becomes restricted and can result in blood clots or a severe narrowing of the artery in or around the brain. Uncontrolled high blood pressure is the leading cause of hemorrhagic stroke. When an artery deteriorates and bursts, blood pools into the brain causing damage to the tissues and cells.

What Are the Warning Signs of a Stroke?

About 70% of patients do not correctly recognize their transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke, and almost 30% put off seeking medical attention for more than twenty-four hours. What’s worse, 30% of early recurrent strokes happen before seeking medical care.

In the presence of a stroke, your body will send some clear signs to sound the alarm:

• Drooping facial muscles
• Sudden weakness or numbing in the arms or legs, particularly on one side of the body
• Slurred speech and difficulty understanding others
• Sudden vision difficulties in one or both eyes
• Abrupt onset of dizziness or trouble walking
• Sudden severe headache for no apparent reason

If you notice one or more of these signs, urgent action is required. A stroke is a medical emergency, and you should call an ambulance or get to a hospital right away.

Immediate Stroke Treatment Is Critical

When it comes to saving lives and restoring quality of life, early recognition and treatment are vital to a patient’s well being and full recovery. Here’s why:

Research shows that stroke patients recover better when they receive care in a specialized stroke unit under the supervision of a specially trained team.

The first line of defense for ischemic stroke is to take a clot-breaking medication known as tPA (tissue Plasminogen Activator) which can help increase blood circulation in clogged blood vessels and in some cases reverse the effects from stroke. The medication can be given up to 4.5 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms. Patients can also undergo an endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), an innovative procedure using x-ray guided imaging to take out large blood clots near the brain.

Hemorrhagic stroke typically cannot be treated with tPA or other clot-busting medications, and the recovery time is often longer than with an ischemic stroke. Your doctor may recommend surgery to repair the damaged artery in your brain and to stop any bleeding.

The rehabilitation process begins once you are stable and may continue for months or even years. Every individual’s recovery period will depend on their family and medical history, and lifestyle.

Stroke Prevention

Research shows that 25% of stroke survivors will have a recurring stroke at some point in their lives. However, patients can take control of their health to reduce the risk of having another stroke. Enhanced public awareness and education are needed to realize the full potential for stroke prevention.

Treatments to prevent further stroke include:

• Medications that lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• Antiplatelet therapies
• Anticoagulation medication
• Surgery for patients with severe carotid artery restriction

Knowing your personal risk factors can help minimize your chances of a stroke as can making lifestyle choices such as:

• Eating a healthy, low-salt, and well-balanced diet
• Staying active and exercising regularly
• Not smoking
• Limiting alcohol consumption

To learn more about how to treat or prevent stroke, please feel free to contact us. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and address any of your concerns.

Florida is known for its sunny weather, tropical plants, and warm temperatures. However, our perennially great weather comes with a downside; allergies can last year-round for many Floridians, putting us at the top of the list for the number of allergy sufferers nationwide.

If you or your little ones are stuffy, sneezy, or just feeling under the weather, how can you tell what you’ve got, especially when leaves are falling or the ragweed blooming at full force? For most of us, telling the difference between a cold, allergies, and a sinus infection can be more than a little confusing and downright challenging.

Identifying the precise cause of your symptoms allows you to receive the right treatment to get well as quickly as possible and prevent a recurrence of symptoms down the road. Below, we discuss the main differences between allergies, the common cold, and sinus infections and what you can do to make insightful and empowered treatment decisions.

The Common Cold

Roughly 22 million school days are forfeited to the common cold every year. And almost one billion adults and children come down with a cold annually. Over two hundred different types of viruses cause colds, but the rhinovirus is the strain responsible for half of them.

The most common way to catch a cold is by coming into physical contact with someone who is already sick. An individual with a cold can also spread the bacteria into the air by coughing or sneezing, potentially infecting anyone who breathes them in. Moreover, you can contract a cold by rubbing anything that contains germs such as cutlery, coins, or a doorknob and then touching your mouth, nose, or face.

A cold usually manifests rather quickly, your symptoms will maximize around day three, and you can expect to feel better in between five to seven days without needing antibiotics. Signs of the common cold include:

• Significant nasal congestion
• Thick yellow or green mucus
• Sore throat
• Watery eyes
• Sneezing
• Cough
• Headache
• At times a fever

Sinus Infections

A sinus infection comes about when the nasal cavity becomes infected or swollen typically due to a viral or bacterial infection. Allergies, nasal polyps, and dental infections can also aggravate sinus discomfort and symptoms. Sinus congestion can bring about achiness and a feeling of fullness or pressure in the face. More than 30 million patients suffer from sinusitis annually, making sinus infections one of the main reasons people visit the doctor’s office.

The sinus cavities are lined with thin, moist layers which constantly secrete mucus. During a sinus infection, thick mucus production spikes and can block the nose and sinuses, creating congestion and pressure.

Acute sinusitis, defined as lasting for less than four weeks can include the following symptoms:

• Nasal congestion
• Sinus headaches
• Nasal discharge with a different smell
• Throat irritation and dry cough
• Fever
• Dental pain

The main differences between a sinus infection and the common cold are the extent and type of symptoms. While a cold will generally run its course in less than ten days, a sinus infection will last ten days or more, and symptoms can deteriorate after one week. Another telltale sign of a sinus infection is when you feel like you’re getting better after a couple of days, only to feel worse again, then improve another time, and get worse once again. Antibiotics may be prescribed if your symptoms last longer than ten days.

Allergies

Roughly 50 million children and adults in the U.S. have allergies, and Florida tops the list of states for the highest allergy count in the country.

The most common allergens include:

• Pollen, trees, and plants
• Specific medicines
• Animal dander
• Dust mites
• Mold
• Insect bites
• Particular foods (eggs, dairy, peanuts, and shellfish)

With allergies, your immune system attacks harmless substances that it misidentifies as foreign invaders. Histamines and other chemicals are released by the body to rectify the issue which leads to troublesome allergic reactions.

Allergies have a unique symptom profile. Symptoms typically depend on the kind of allergy and its severity. Allergenic symptoms for nasal allergies can include:

• Clear, runny mucus
• Dry coughing
• Sneezing
• Itchy and watery eyes
• Feeling unwell or sick

Food allergies may cause tingling or inflammation in the mouth, throat, or face as well as hives. Rash, swelling of the face, or wheezing can arise from certain medications, and bee or insect allergies can cause swelling at the site of the sting, extreme itching, shortness of breath, or coughing. Some allergies can recur seasonally like clockwork, or they can last year-round if you have dust mites or mold allergy.

For more information about treating sinusitis, allergies, or the common cold, please contact us. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions or concerns.