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Conditions We Treat

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by elevated blood glucose levels, or hyperglycemia, resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. Therefore, your body does not make enough insulin and/or cannot use the insulin it makes well enough to produce the energy you need and to control the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood.

The Diabetes Program at Palos Community Hospital treats all types of diabetes, including:

  • Type 1 Diabetes
    Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin at all. This form of diabetes accounts for 5-10 percent of those with diabetes, and is usually diagnosed in children and young adults.

  • Type 2 Diabetes
    Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, as it accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all patients with the disease. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin, which results in a build-up of glucose in the bloodstream. Glucose build-up can cause many severe health problems, including eye problems, kidney failure, nerve damage and heart disease.  

  • Gestational Diabetes (GDM)
    GDM is defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes affects 7 out of 100 pregnant women. Although most cases resolve with delivery, 5 percent of women who had it during pregnancy develop type 2 diabetes within 6 months after birth and 60 percent within 10 years. Women at very high risk for GDM should be screened for diabetes as soon as possible after the confirmation of pregnancy. Women at very high risk include those who have:

    • Severe Obesity
    • Prior History of GDM
    • Given Birth to a Large-for-Gestational-Age Infant
    • Glycosuria (Glucose in the urine)
    • Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
    • Family History of Type 2 Diabetes
  • Prediabetes
    This condition is also referred to as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose. Prediabetes may be diagnosed in individuals whose glucose levels are not high enough to be defined as diabetes, yet are too high to be considered normal. People with prediabetes have a fasting plasma glucose of =100 mg/dl but <126 mg/dl, and are at high risk of developing diabetes. Research shows that if you take action through diet and exercise to manage your blood glucose when you have pre-diabetes, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from ever developing.

The American Diabetes Association Risk Test for Diabetes can help you determine if you are at increased risk for diabetes or pre-diabetes. A high score may indicate that you have pre-diabetes or at risk for pre-diabetes. Take the test and find out for sure.

To learn more about the Diabetes Program at Palos Community Hospital, call (708) 226-2330.