Madison Diabetes Help: Health Concerns For Type 2 Diabetes Patients

If you have type 2 diabetes, it is important that you find the best possible medical care. Traditional doctors are good when it comes to acute conditions such as a broken bone or a heart attack, but a functional medicine doctor excels when it comes to chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes.  You want to choose a practitioner who is thorough when they perform their tests, so that they can get the most accurate picture of your health. 

What do you know about diabetes? Do you know that your risk of heart disease is elevated when you develop type 2 diabetes? Having diabetes can increase your risk for many health concerns. You want to seek care from a practitioner who is prepared to deal with anything else that happens as a result of type 2 diabetes. For instance, diabetics need extra care paid attention to their legs and especially their feet. 

Over time, the constant high level of sugar in the blood irritates and damages the blood vessels all over the body, but especially in the feet. This nerve damage can cause a loss of sensation in the lower legs and feet. This can make it hard to tell when you get a scratch, cut, scrape or other injury on the feet. There can be circulation problems as well, which makes any injury received slower to heal. 

If infection sets in, it can be hard to fight off, and in extreme cases, gangrene sets in and amputation is necessary to preserve your life. If left unchecked, it will certainly spread. It is vitally important that you have regular appointments with your functional medicine doctor and that they examine your feet for potential injury. What’s more, it is also important to keep your feet clean, dry and injury free at home. It helps to wear slippers or shoes at all times to avoid stepping on sharp things that may puncture or cut your feet. 

Diabetic people also need to be vigilant about going to the dentist and eye doctor, since diabetes has an effect on your gums and eyes. Diabetics are prone to bacterial infection in the mouth and also gum disease. Their gum tissue is more likely to break down. It is important to visit your dentist twice a year for a checkup and to let them know that you have diabetes. As for your eyes, it is important to visit the eye doctor once a year, so that you can be monitored for a condition called diabetic retinopathy. 

Retinopathy is change or damage to the retina. The blood vessels in the retina can begin to weaken and leak, or new (but abnormal) blood vessels can sprout and grow from the retina. These things can damage the vision permanently, but often sneak up unnoticed on the diabetic person. It is important that you are monitored; by an eye doctor and that they know you have diabetes. This way they know what to look for, and can work with you to preserve your precious eyesight. 

If you have type 2 diabetes, make sure that you have regular appointments with your functional medicine doctor as well as your dentist and eye doctor to keep yourself in the optimal state of health. If it has been a while since you’ve seen your practitioner, then the time for an appointment is now. 

-Dr. Ashley Woyak, Forward Natural Medicine