Chronic Disease Management | Jupiter Gardens Primary Care

Chronic Disease Management
Jupiter Gardens
Primary care & Anti-Aging

Services

Diabetes

Diabetes affects ever-increasing numbers of people in the United States, and people with this condition face serious health issues unless they receive help with managing their condition. Diabetes is a condition that arises when your body is either not making or not using the hormone insulin as it should. Because of this, sugar builds up in your blood beyond healthy levels, causing a range of health issues.

There are several types of diabetes, but the most common is Type 2, which arises when your body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use it. Type 1 diabetes is due to the body not producing insulin because the immune system destroys the insulin-making cells in the pancreas.

Diabetes rarely causes any noticeable symptoms until it reaches a more serious stage, by which time you could be experiencing:

Constant thirst and hunger

Chronic fatigue

Frequent need to urinate

Blurred vision

Dry and itchy skin

Wounds that heal slowly

Tingling sensations in hands and feet

Recurrent yeast, urinary tract, and skin infections

If left untreated, your blood sugar can rise so high that it causes difficulty breathing, vomiting, abdominal pain, dehydration, and, in extreme cases, coma and death.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition that develops due to lifestyle and health issues, whereas a problem in the immune system causes Type 1 diabetes. That means that while you can’t prevent Type 1 diabetes, you can do a great deal to prevent Type 2.

Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include:

Being overweight or obese

Smoking

Overconsumption of alcohol

Lack of exercise

The most valuable treatment for diabetes is for you to look after your health. Exercise regularly, keep your weight to a healthy level, eat a well-balanced diet, and avoid bad habits.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is often referred to as the silent killer because there are rarely any symptoms until you suffer a major health crisis. Having high blood pressure, or hypertension, means that the force at which your blood is pumping through your arteries is at a level that could cause serious harm to your circulatory system and other organs.

Uncontrolled hypertension can cause:

Stroke

Heart disease

Kidney failure

Heart attack

One of the difficulties of having high blood pressure is that you’re unlikely to experience any symptoms, at least until the damage causes other health problems. For that reason, it’s essential to attend regular blood pressure checks.

High blood pressure can be due to a variety of causes, including:

High-fat diet

High cholesterol

Consuming too much salt

Diabetes

Hormonal imbalances

Kidney disease

Lack of exercise

Advancing age

Being overweight

Stress

Smoking

Drinking too much alcohol

The good news about blood pressure is that it’s straightforward to measure, and therefore you can find out how healthy your reading is in moments. Your provider wraps an inflatable band around your upper arm and inflates it, taking the readings off a meter.

A normal blood pressure reading is below 120 systolic and below 80 diastolic. High blood pressure would be over 140 systolic and above 90 diastolic, and if it reaches 160 or above systolic and 100 or above diastolic, your blood pressure is dangerously high.

Cholesterol

High cholesterol can be detrimental to your health and can potentially contribute to heart disease and future cardiovascular concerns. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance commonly found in your blood. Cholesterol is vital for your body to process vitamin D and make hormones. However, too much cholesterol can cause your body to form plaque on the walls of your arteries. The formation of plaque can contribute to coronary artery disease, which occurs when the coronary arteries become narrowed or blocked.

There are good and bad cholesterols that can be broken down into three different types of cholesterol:

HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein and is considered “good” cholesterol since it helps bring cholesterol back to the liver where it is removed from the bloodstream.

LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein and is considered “bad” cholesterol since it contributes to the formation of plaque.

VLDL stands for very low-density lipoprotein and is considered “bad” cholesterol since it contributes toward the formation of plaque because it carries triglycerides, which are a bad type of fat.

Unhealthy lifestyle choices can lead to high cholesterol levels. However, genetic factors can also be a big part of your diagnosis, even if you’re making good lifestyle choices. An unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle can contribute to high cholesterol levels, as it reduces your “good” cholesterol.

High cholesterol can contribute to many different problems, including:

A blood clot

Chest pain

Heart attack

Carotid artery disease

Stroke

Peripheral artery disease