Diabetes consultation

Who is a diabetes consultant?

A diabetes consultant is qualified and an expert in diagnosing, managing, and providing the best possible treatment. This type of physician is also known as an endocrinologist.

Who is an endocrinologist?

An endocrinologist is a consultant who specializes in treating hormone-related diseases and other related conditions such as; diabetes, thyroid, mellitus, and obesity (adiposity-based chronic disorder).

The essential requirement of being an endocrinologist includes;

being skilled in core medication before being an endocrinologist.
must have a practice of;

Four years of college
Four years of medical school
Three years of residency and
Three years of fellowship

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a long-lasting illness that affects the body’s process of transforming food into energy. The food that enters the body is broken down into glucose, released into the blood flow. When the quantity of sugar (present in the body) increases, it notifies the pancreas to release insulin. Moreover, an individual must visit a physician if they encounter symptoms like frequently urinating, especially at night, and often have a feeling of being thirsty and a loss of weight.

On a doctor’s visit, he may advise some tests to be conducted regarding diabetes or other possible illnesses that have similar symptoms. If the glucose screening test calculations come positive, the physician may refer an individual to an endocrinologist.

The purpose of the consultation

The purpose of the consultation is to diagnose diabetes and analyze the condition of an individual suffering from diabetes. After the diagnosis, the consultant would advise a diet plan to be followed by an individual. Most endocrinologist works with a dietitian to provide their patient with an effective diet plan.

Why is it beneficial to be consulted?

After being diagnosed with diabetes, it would be beneficial to get a consultation as the symptoms of diabetes can get worsen over time if proper guidance is not received. The physician may focus on to the self -care and a nutrition plan. The consultant would aid in improving the quality of an individual’s life.

An individual who encounters some of the possible symptoms listed below is advised to visit the consultant. The symptoms include:

Feeling the need to drink fluid very often due to dryness of the mouth or usually when the brain indicates the body is dehydrated because of not having enough water intake.
Itching is a feeling of irritation that leads to scratching of the skin. This typically happens due to increased blood sugar levels for an extended period.
Blurry vision is when an individual is unable to view or focus on the object to have a clear vision. This usually happens when the blood sugar level fluctuates.
A deficiency of insulin may cause a reduction in body weight.
Fatigue can be one of the possible symptoms resulting from fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
Diabetic neuropathy occurs when an individual experiences leg pain due to nerve damage (caused by long-term blood sugar level fluctuation).
People diagnosed with diabetes have a possible symptom of frequent urination more than average.

Possible blood tests advised by consultants:

Blood glucose test: This type of blood test is being conducted to calculate the glucose level present in the sufferer’s blood. This examination can be held at any time without the need to fast. An individual whose findings are more than two hundred mg/dl is diagnosed with diabetes.

Fasting plasm glucose: This test is conducted to calculate the blood sugar level in an individual’s body during the fasting period. However, it is advised to perform the test during the daytime for accurate results. During the fasting period, the blood sugar level must be lower than one hundred and twenty-six mg/dl; if this level exceeds, an individual must be considered diabetic. Once the patient is diagnosed with diabetes, the individual would be planned for specific communication with the doctor and a dietitian to plan medication.

The consultant may help in preventing the risks and complications of the following situations;

- Improper vision or blindness: A high blood sugar level in a diabetic patient can lead to severe damage to the blood vessels in the retina, which can cause; loss of eyesight, blurry vision, or swelling around the eye.

Heart disorder: The high amount of glucose level present in the body can lead to injury in the blood vessels of the heart and the nerves (which manage the heart and aid in its proper functioning). This can increase over time and lead to many other illnesses.

Stroke: A diabetic patient can suffer from a stroke disorder as diabetes leads to the jam of the blood flow. High sugar levels present in the blood can cause damage to the body’s blood vessels leading to a stroke.
Failure of the kidney: The increasing quantity of glucose present in the body can lead to the injury of numerous small filtering units present in the kidney. This damage in the body leads to kidney failure.

To conclude, it seems to be a vital option to be consulted with an endocrinologist as the consultant would help prevent an individual from having the possible illnesses that can be caused due to diabetes. As it is a long-lasting disorder, the fluctuations in the body would require consultation to live a better life with the illness.

References:

https://healthcare.utah.edu/utahdiabetescenter/when-should-you-see-diabetes-specialist.php retrieved on April 07, 2022.
https://www.tatahealth.com/online-doctor-consultation/consultant-physician/diabetes-treatment retrieved on April 07, 2022.

https://www.docdoc.com/medical-information/procedures/diabetes-consultation retrieved on April 07, 2022