Diabetes Specialist

Wahid Medical

Family Medicine Physician & Aesthetics Specialist located in Patterson, CA

Diabetes affects more than 29 million Americans. This collection of diseases affects your ability to properly regulate your blood sugar and can have dire effects on your long-term health and well-being. Proper management of diabetes is essential. Seek this care from Ali Abdul Wahid, MD, and the team at Wahid Medical in Patterson, California. Call the office or book online to learn how to get your diabetes under control.

Diabetes Q&A

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a collection of diseases that affect your ability to produce and manage the hormone insulin. Your pancreas produces insulin and helps you maintain healthy blood sugar, or glucose, levels. If your insulin production is inadequate or nonexistent, or your body can’t use the insulin you do produce effectively, you may develop diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition diagnosed in youth or early adulthood. With this version, your body’s immune system attacks the pancreas cells that produce insulin, so you need to take daily insulin injections to manage your blood sugar levels.

Type 2 diabetes

A type 2 diabetes diagnosis usually occurs in middle-aged or older people, but younger people who are overweight, live sedentary lifestyles, and eat a poor diet may also develop it. Type 2 diabetes is when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or your body has trouble using the insulin you do produce.

If you have elevated blood sugar, but it’s not yet high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, Dr. Wahid can help you take steps to prevent a diagnosis. Dietary changes, exercise, and other lifestyle changes can bring your blood sugar levels down.

What symptoms suggest I have diabetes?

In the case of type 2 diabetes, you may not have any really noticeable symptoms. Type 1 diabetes does present with:

  • Hunger and an inability to feel satisfied
  • Irritability
  • Uncontrollable thirst
  • Frequent urination
  • Tingling in the hands and feet
  • Unexplained fatigue

Delayed wound healing, especially in the feet, is another possible symptom.

What happens if diabetes goes unmanaged?

Unmanaged diabetes causes a number of serious health complications, including:

  • Stroke
  • Cardiovascular disease and heart attack
  • Blindness or other eye problems
  • Kidney failure
  • Poor circulation that can lead to amputation
  • Nerve damage
  • Oral health issues, such as periodontal disease
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Depression

At Wahid Medical, you can get expert management of your diabetes to help you live a healthy life.

How is type 2 diabetes managed?

Wahid Medical offers regular monitoring to help you stay on top of your symptoms and blood sugar levels. The team works with you to create an eating and exercise plan to help level out your blood sugar levels. Some people with type 2 diabetes benefit from daily insulin injections or oral medications to help the body use insulin more effectively.

If you need testing for diabetes or a proper management plan, contact Wahid Medical today. Call or book an appointment using this website.