Diabetes
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Hackensack Primary Care
Sapna Singh, MD
Primary Care Physician located in Hackensack, NJ
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition affecting over 29 million people of all ages in the United States. An estimated that 1 in 4 diabetics don't even know they have the disease. At Hackensack Primary Care in Hackensack, New Jersey, Dr. Sapna Singh offers accurate diagnostic testing for diabetes, and recommends screening if you have a family history of the condition. To learn more about diabetes testing and management, schedule an appointment online or by phone.
Diabetes Q & A
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic condition that involves elevated blood glucose, or sugar levels. Your body takes glucose from the foods you eat and converts it to energy. It uses the hormone insulin to bring the glucose to your cells for energy.
When you have Type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t make insulin to carry the glucose into cells. As a result, the sugar stays in your blood and can cause serious health problems, including nerve damage, organ damage, and heart problems. Type 1 diabetes is usually discovered in your early childhood, but can also be diagnosed in adulthood.
In Type 2 diabetes, your body does make insulin, but it's not enough to keep your blood glucose levels steady. Your body may also not utilize the insulin it makes sufficiently, causing a rise in blood sugar levels that lead to heart attacks and organ disease. Type 2 diabetes can affect you at any age.
If your blood glucose levels are high, but not high enough to class as diabetes, you may have a condition known as prediabetes. If you are pregnant and experience high blood glucose levels, you may be experiencing a condition known as gestational diabetes, a condition that often results after your baby is born.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
The symptoms of diabetes vary, and not everyone experiences the same symptoms. Common symptoms of diabetes may include:
- Blurry vision
- Frequent urination
- Constant fatigue
- Extreme hunger and thirst
- Unexplained weight loss
- Numbness and tingling in limbs
Diabetes can also cause frequent skin infections, bladder infections, and vaginal yeast infections.
How is diabetes diagnosed?
Dr. Singh discusses your family history during your initial appointment. She also reviews any symptoms that you may be experiencing related to diabetes.
If you have a family history of diabetes, Dr. Singh may order blood work as a preventive measure. If you are experiencing symptoms related to diabetes, she may use blood testing to confirm a diagnosis.
What treatment options are available for diabetes?
For Type 1 diabetics, you need to take daily insulin treatments and regularly monitor your blood glucose levels at home.
If you have Type 2 diabetes, Dr. Singh may first recommend making necessary lifestyle changes, such as eating healthy, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight. If these therapies aren’t effective, she may recommend an oral medication to control blood sugar.
Schedule an appointment online or by phone with Hackensack Primary Care to learn more about managing diabetes.
