Diabetes Management
With the right treatment and management, people with diabetes can live healthy lives.
Our diabetes specialists can help at all stages of your diabetes journey, from diagnosis to treatment and management. This includes teaching you how to manage your diabetes and avoid complications that can come from having diabetes.
If you notice that you have any of the symptoms of diabetes, it’s important to talk to a doctor as soon as possible. And if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, follow up with your healthcare provider as recommended to begin monitoring your blood sugar and improving your health.
Have a child with diabetes or other endocrine-related condition? We have specialists trained in pediatric endocrinology care.
Your Baystate Health Diabetes Team
Your diabetes team will customize a diabetes treatment and management plan that’s right for your situation. This team might include an endocrinologist, diabetes educator and registered dietitian as well as other team members who will work with you to get your blood sugar under control and keep it there.
Diabetes Technology
Our diabetes caregivers are familiar with the range of technologies used to treat diabetes. They understand all types of diabetes pumps, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs ) and other technologies. And with our connections to several diabetes technology companies, we can help you get access to cloud-based technologies to more easily track your progress and manage your diabetes.
Don't Forget the Referral
Please ask your primary care provider to refer you to the Diabetes Education program at Baystate Endocrine and Diabetes. We offer group and individual sessions. Some insurances such as Medicare have specific requirement around group visits. We are happy to help you understand your medicare diabetes education benefit.
Jackie's Diabetes Journey
Learn About Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that causes high blood sugar levels. Blood sugar (glucose) is an important source of energy for your body’s muscles and tissues. But having too much sugar in your blood can lead to serious health problems and conditions including heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage and eye problems.
Some types of diabetes can be reversed, including:
- Prediabetes. Blood sugar levels are high but not yet high enough to be called diabetes.
- Gestational diabetes. This type of diabetes occurs during pregnancy.
- Type 2 diabetes
Chronic diabetes conditions, those that last for a long time or keep coming back, include type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
With type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t produce insulin. Insulin is the hormone needed to move glucose from the blood stream into your cells.
Anyone can have type 1 diabetes, regardless of age, race, shape or size. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, risk factors for type 1 diabetes include family history and age. You’re more likely to develop type 1 diabetes as a child, teen or young adult, however we do see type 1 diabetes occurring in adults as well.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is more common than type 1. In type 2, your body does not use your insulin as it should. You’re at risk for type 2 diabetes if you:
- Have prediabetes
- Are overweight
- Are 45 years or older
- Have a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes
- Are physically active less than 3 times per week
- Had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
Diabetes symptoms vary. With prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, some people don’t have any symptoms at all. In type 1 diabetes, symptoms can be sudden and severe.
Symptoms may include:
- Blurred vision
- Feeling more thirsty than usual
- Frequent infections
- Frequent urination
- Irritability
- Sores that are slow to heal
- Tiredness
- Weight loss
Everyone is unique, which means there isn’t a one-size-fits-all diabetes treatment. We’ll work with you to develop a personalized plan for managing your diabetes, while avoiding complications and preventing prediabetes from becoming type 2 diabetes.
Your action plan might include:
- Nutrition counseling
- Medication, including education about using insulin
- Fitness and exercise
- Support from your Baystate Health diabetes care team
Diabetes Management Webinar
World Diabetes Day
Diabetes Self-management at Baystate Health
Are you at risk for diabetes? This quick test can help you tell.
Richard Zglobicki's Diabetes Management Journey
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