Diabetes Specialist

Pinnacle Care Internal Medicine

Internal Medicine located in Peoria, AZ & Surprise, AZ

Diabetes affects more than 100 million American adults. To ensure you thrive in spite of your diagnosis, the medical staff at Pinnacle Care Internal Medicine offers comprehensive diabetes care. At the Peoria, Arizona, internal medicine practice, the knowledgeable team provides on-site diabetes testing and management services for Type 1, Type 2, and prediabetes. They even host a diabetes management clinic on the third Wednesday of every month. Learn more about available treatments and long-term diabetes management options by calling the office today or scheduling a consultation online.

Diabetes Q & A

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way your body manages the sugar it gets for your diet. A healthy body converts sugar into the energy it needs to thrive.

In Type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t produce the insulin hormone it needs to help with this conversion. In Type 2 diabetes, there isn’t enough insulin to convert sugar to energy, or your body isn’t using the insulin it makes properly. There’s also a condition, known as prediabetes, where your blood sugar levels are abnormally high, but not high enough to be considered diabetes.

As a result, sugar levels in your blood remain high. High blood sugar can lead to a variety of long-term health conditions, including:

Stroke
Eye problems
Heart disease
Nerve damage
Kidney damage

Diabetes that isn’t properly managed can also result in premature death.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

In the early stages of diabetes, you may not have any noticeable symptoms. As the condition progresses, you may experience symptoms like:

Chronic fatigue
Blurry vision
Dry, itchy skin
Frequent urination
Extreme thirst and hunger
Unexplained weight loss

In some cases, you may also develop tingling or numbness in your feet or hands as the result of high blood sugar levels.

Because symptoms may not show up until diabetes progresses, it’s important to get regular blood tests if you have a family history or certain risk factors for diabetes.

What treatments are available for diabetes?

If you have Type 1 diabetes, you’ll need daily insulin to control your blood sugar. Your Pinnacle Care Internal Medicine physician also routinely monitors your blood sugar levels and provides guidance and resources for at-home monitoring.

In treatment plans for Type 2 diabetes, your physician may initially recommend dietary and lifestyle changes to keep your blood sugar levels normal. This may involve increasing exercise and eating a diet of fresh, healthy foods and limiting sugary and processed foods. These changes can also prevent prediabetes from turning into Type 2 diabetes. You may need medications if lifestyle modifications aren’t enough to control sugar levels.

The Pinnacle Care Internal Medicine also provides a diabetes management clinic on the third Wednesday of every month for comprehensive support.

If you have symptoms of diabetes or have a family history of the condition, schedule a diabetes consultation today, online or by phone.

What we offer