Norman Regional Health System
Endocrinology

Diabetes

What is Diabetes?

People with diabetes experience high sugar or glucose levels in their blood. This high sugar level can damage the body's organs and lead to other problems such as nerve damage, heart attacks, loss of vision, kidney damage and more. It is important to seek medical care for the management of this disease to avoid these problems.

Signs and Symptoms

Your doctor can diagnose you even if you don't have any symptoms through a simple blood test. Common symptoms of include:

  • Feeling very thirsty
  • Frequent urination
  • Losing weight despite eating large amounts of food
  • Blurry vision
  • Cuts and bruises that are slow to heal
  • Extreme fatigue

Diabetes Treatments at Norman Regional

Diabetes is controlled and managed through different treatment options. Your physician will discuss the best path for you to control your disease. Options include dietary changes such as the counting and limiting of carbohydrates, lifestyle changes such as increased physical activity, and the use of medications and/or insulin. Monitoring blood sugar levels with an at home device called a glucometer is also important.

Tests

You may receive different tests during treatment. These include: a blood test called a hemoglobin A1c, a urine test, a lipid (cholesterol) panel which is a blood test, blood pressure measurement, eye exam, foot exam and more as deemed necessary by your physician.

Resources