Diabetes

Diabetes Services in Beaumont

Helping Patients Thrive with Chronic Health Conditions

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease where a person is no longer able to regulate their blood sugar or glucose levels. At Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas, we help people with diabetes mellitus to properly regulate the blood sugar (glucose) by improving understanding on:

  • How to eat
  • How to use diabetic supplies
  • How to safely use medications
  • How to be mindful of how the person is feeling (signs and symptoms) and when to make changes to alter blood glucose levels.

Types of Diabetes Mellitus

What is the most common type of diabetes? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: 90-95% of all diagnosed diabetes mellitus cases
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: 5-10% of all diagnosed diabetes mellitus cases
Diabetes mellitus can occur in children and in adolescence. Diabetes mellitus can occur in adulthood. Additionally, women in pregnancy can experience diabetes.

Diabetes types include:

  • Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus – This type of diabetes most often occurs in young people when their immune system attacks their insulin producers in the pancreas. As a result, people with Type 1 diabetes often need the benefit of injected insulin to keep their sugar levels (glucose) healthy.
  • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus – When the body is no longer able to make enough insulin to manage blood sugar (glucose) levels, the person must begin taking medications to manage the problem. These medications may be oral tablets, but people with Type 2 diabetes may need to take injectable medications for their management too.
  • Gestational diabetes – 2-10% of pregnancies will develop gestational diabetes. Pregnant women should be screened for this problem as directed by their healthcare provider. Healthy eating habits, exercise, and sometimes medication are used to ensure they safety of both mother and fetus.

Diabetes Mellitus Symptoms and Testing

Diabetes Mellitus Symptoms: Diabetes Mellitus is often silent or without symptoms, but symptoms can become severe very quickly. Consider reaching out to your health care provider for diabetes testing if you are experiencing symptoms:

You should undergo diabetes testing if you have experience symptoms like:

  • Frequent appetite or thirst, even following a meal
  • Severe fatigue
  • Frequent urination
  • Slow healing wounds
  • Tingling in the hands or feet
  • Blurred vision
  • Weight loss for no apparent reason

Diabetes Testing Options:

  • Random plasma glucose - Blood test to check glucose levels regardless of when you last ate.
  • Fasting plasma glucose - (FPG) Tests blood glucose levels after having nothing to eat or drink but water for at least 8 hours.
  • Oral glucose tolerance test - (OGTT) A two-hour procedure that checks blood glucose levels before and after ingesting sugar.
  • A1C - A test that measures a person's glucose levels over months by testing how much blood glucose attaches to red blood cells as the blood travels through the body.

At Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas, our diabetes department has the tools to help you understand if you have diabetes and, if so, how to manage it. For more information contact our Diabetes Education Coordinator-Helen Simmons at (409) 212-7295 or Helen.simmons@bhset.net