Diabetes care in southern New Hampshire

At Appledore Medical Group, expert physicians work closely with patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes to help maintain health and achieve the best possible outcomes.

Patients will receive comprehensive care management along with excellent educational materials and resource information to learn more about their condition. Managing diabetes now can mean a healthier life later.

Before visiting one of our locations that offers diabetes care, please view our patient health forms.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition that leaves the body with a shortage or a decreased ability to use insulin, a hormone that allows sugar (glucose) to be converted to energy. When the body can't produce enough insulin, glucose builds up in the blood and can cause damage to vital organs.

If left untreated, diabetes can lead to a number of serious health concerns, including:

  • Blindness
  • Circulatory problems
  • Heart disease
  • Kidney failure
  • Stroke
  • Pregnancy complications

Types of diabetes

The most common forms of diabetes are:

  • Gestational diabetes—Gestational diabetes occurs in a small percentage of women during pregnancy. It's caused by the blocking effects that hormones have on insulin. For most women, gestational diabetes will go away shortly after giving birth.
  • Prediabetes—Prediabetes means that a patient has elevated blood sugar, but it's not high enough to qualify for a diabetes diagnosis. Prediabetes can often times be treated with lifestyle changes.
  • Type 1 diabetes—Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease, where the body fails to produce insulin. It generally appears in childhood or early adulthood. People with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin injections to regulate glucose levels.
  • Type 2 diabetes—Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that occurs when the body produces insulin, but not enough. Type 2 diabetes cases in the U.S. are growing at a fast rate due to increased obesity and sedentary lifestyles.

Diabetes symptoms

In most cases, diabetes shows no symptoms. However, when symptoms do appear, they usually consist of the following:

  • Blurred vision
  • Dark skin patches
  • Excessive thirst or hunger
  • Fatigue
  • Frequent urination
  • Non-healing wounds
  • Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet

Diabetes risk factors

Although the cause of diabetes remains uncertain, there are several known risk factors.

Risk factors for diabetes include:

  • Age
  • Heredity
  • High blood pressure or cholesterol
  • Inactivity
  • Obesity
  • Stress

People at risk for diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by making lifestyle changes to modify or eliminate risk factors.

Diabetes treatment and prevention

Although Type 2 diabetes cannot be cured, there are ways to keep blood sugar levels normal, which can prevent or delay possible complications.

Healthy eating, weight loss, diabetes medications and insulin therapy are all options to help you manage your symptoms. Work with your diabetes care team to determine which course of action is best for you.

Managing prediabetes

For many, prediabetes is a warning. While it means you are susceptible to developing diabetes, you are still in a position to make a change. Steps that have been shown to improve prediabetes include:

  • Increasing exercise
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Eating healthy foods
  • Getting a good nights sleep