Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition associated with abnormally high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. People with diabetes either do not produce enough insulin – a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life – or cannot use the insulin that their bodies produce. As a result, glucose builds up in the bloodstream. If left untreated, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney disease, nerve disease, heart disease, and stroke.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), 15.7 million Americans – nearly 6% of the population – have diabetes.

Although an estimated 10.3 million have been diagnosed, 5.4 million people are not aware that they have the disease. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and it affects males and females of all ages, races, and income levels.

There are two major types of diabetes mellitus:

• Type 1 – Also known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease (a condition arising from and directed against a person's own tissues) in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Individuals with type 1 diabetes must take insulin throughout their lives to manage their condition. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs most often in children and young adults and it accounts for 5% to 10% of all diabetes cases.
• Type 2 – The most common form of diabetes (accounting for 90% of all cases), type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to make enough, or properly use, insulin. It occurs most frequently in people who are overweight, inactive, and older than 40 years of age (although the rates in children are rising). Most people with type 2 diabetes?about 60% to 70%?do not need to take insulin to manage their condition, however. For this reason, type 2 diabetes is also called noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can develop when a woman is pregnant. Towards the end of a pregnancy (usually the third trimester), a woman may have higher than normal levels of glucose in her bloodstream. One percent of all pregnant women develop gestational diabetes. Although it usually disappears after delivery, the mother is at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Other types of diabetes are associated with genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses.

Integrative Medicine Treatment Options

We combine the best of conventional medicine with the best of complementary and alternative therapies to give you optimal results.

Here are some options we use at the Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine LOCATED IN Cincinnati, Ohio

• Nutritional Counseling
• Medication, Herbal Therapies and Supplements
• Lifestyle changes and exercise program 
• Mind/Body Relaxation Techniques