How Diabetes Affects Your Health
Diabetes is a serious condition that can take a toll on your long-term health. Left untreated, this disease can lead to a host of other serious issues, such as heart disease, stroke, higher risk of infections, and more.
There are several ways that individuals can reduce their risk for these health issues. At Oasis of Hope Bariatrics in Tijuana, MX, Dr. Francisco Gonzales explores how diabetes affects your health and explains how bariatric surgery for diabetes can help patients reclaim their health and quality of life.
Uncontrolled Diabetes and its Effect on Overall Health
When blood sugar is unbalanced for prolonged periods of time, it can ultimately lead to Type 2 diabetes. This disease has a negative impact on your body’s ability to produce insulin, a hormone that turns glucose into energy. Individuals with diabetes have a higher risk of:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Eye conditions
- Loss of consciousness
- Infections
- Chronic fatigue
- Pancreas malfunctions
- Excessive urination
- Foot problems
- Nerve damage
- Excessively dry skin
Excess blood sugar has a detrimental effect on the blood vessels. Eventually, insulin-producing cells can shut down completely, leading to a total lack of insulin. Even so, only about one-third of individuals with Type 2 diabetes need insulin shots.
Diabetes is on the Rise
In decades past, diabetes was thought to be a disease that only affected the older population. Today, however, more and more young individuals are developing the condition due to an increase in unhealthy foods and a decrease in exercise.
Obese individuals have an incredibly high risk for diabetes. However, the good news is that individuals can have more control than ever over the disease due to advances in medicine. Making lifestyle changes and taking medications can dramatically improve your state of health and quality of life. Switching to healthy carbs and adding fiber to your diet can help reduce your blood sugar levels.
Can Bariatric Surgery Reduce the Risk of Diabetes?
When diagnosed and treated early, diabetes can be successfully managed, and even reversed in some instances. Studies have shown that bariatric surgery is extremely helpful in reducing the risk of diabetes in obese individuals.
Types of Bariatric Procedures
When addressing diabetes, there are two bariatric procedures that are most helpful: gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. We will briefly explore these two options below:
- Gastric bypass: During this procedure, your Tijuana surgeon reduces the size of the stomach. The small intestine is then divided, and the lower portion is attached to the new stomach pouch. This ensures that fewer calories and nutrients are absorbed during digestion.
- Gastric sleeve: This surgery also involves reducing the size of the stomach. However, the intestines are not rerouted. Therefore, gastric sleeve surgery does not directly impact the body’s ability to absorb calories and nutrients. Patients can still lose weight due to the smaller stomach size. However, diabetes remission occurs much slower with this procedure.
Contact Our Practice Today
Diabetes can have a tremendous negative impact on your overall health. If you are overweight and would like to consider bariatric surgery options, schedule a consultation at our Tijuana practice. Contact us online or call our office at (619) 690-8417.