Diabetes

There are certain factors that have been shown to potentially put you at a higher risk for developing diabetes. If you have more than one of these risk factors, especially if you are 40 years old or older, consult your physician:

• Family history of diabetes
• Gave birth to a child weighing more than nine pounds at birth
• Obesity
• Pregnant
• Previous diabetes diagnosis

You should also consult with your doctor about diabetes if you have one or more of the risk factors above and belong to a high-risk ethnic group, including:

• African-American
• Asian
• Hispanic or Latino/a/x
• Native American
• Pacific Islander

You may have (or be at risk for developing) diabetes if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Blurry vision
• Extreme fatigue
• Frequent urination
• Increased hunger
• Increased thirst
• Sores that do not heal
• Weight loss

Men may also experience a decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction (ED) and poor muscle strength.

Women with diabetes may have urinary tract infections (UTIs), yeast infections and dry, itchy skin.

Types of diabetes we treat

Diabetes comes in many forms, and we treat them all, including:

• Prediabetes — If your blood sugar is higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered Type 2, you may develop prediabetes.
• Type 1 — This is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas, where insulin is created.
• Type 2 — This type of diabetes occurs when your body becomes resistant to insulin, causing sugar buildup in the blood.
• Gestational diabetes — This form of diabetes happens during pregnancy, when hormones produced by the placenta block insulin and causes high blood sugar.

Diabetes can be treated in a variety of ways, including using a few different medications. To find out the best form of diabetes care and management techniques for your unique situation, you will see an endocrinologist, a doctor who helps manage conditions of the endocrine system, such as diabetes.

Diet and exercise

For Type 2 diabetes, diet and exercise can help manage your symptoms. If lifestyle changes alone are not enough to lower your blood sugar, you will need to take medication or seek other avenues.

Insulin injections

The main treatment for Type 1 diabetes is insulin injections. These replace the hormone your body is not able to produce as a result of the diabetes. The four most commonly used types of insulin are rapid-, short-, intermediate- and long-acting. What type of insulin you use depends on when and how long you need your insulin to perform.

Pediatric and adolescent diabetes treatments

Type 1 diabetes in pediatric patients is also known as "juvenile diabetes." It cannot be cured, but can be treated with a healthy diet, exercise and medication routine. HCA HealthONE offers specialized care and diabetes counseling for children and adolescents at our HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children's at Presbyterian St. Luke's. We will develop a treatment plan and monitor your child's progress, enabling them to live a healthier life.

In addition to treatments specifically for diabetes, we offer surgical care for a variety of endocrine disorders. Surgery is a major step, so we'll work with you to explain the process and the potential benefits. Our surgical team is experienced in both traditional and minimally invasive techniques, including robot-assisted surgery and thyroid radiofrequency ablation.

Types of conditions we treat with endocrine surgery

Our medical staff may decide that surgical treatment is needed for the following conditions:

• Adrenal gland cancer
• Adrenal tumors
• Endocrine cancer
• Head and neck cancer
• Hyperaldosteronism
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Hyperthyroidism
• Massive and substernal thyroid goiter
• Parathyroid disorders
• Parathyroid cancer
• Pheochromocytoma
• Thyroid cancer
• Thyroid disorders