Diabetes Specialist

Integrative Primary Care

Internists located in Houston, TX

More than 30 million people in the United States have diabetes, and an alarming 84 million more are considered prediabetic. At Integrative Primary Care, Dr. Syed Farhat Zaidi has the tools necessary to help the Houston and Katy, Texas, area patients better manage their diabetes, allowing them to lead happy, active lives free from the serious complications that can come with diabetes. For expert diabetic care, call or use the online scheduling tool to set up an appointment.

Diabetes Q & A

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a catchall term for a number of conditions that affect how your body regulates your glucose levels in your blood. The main types of diabetes include:

Type 1 diabetes

This form of the disease is caused when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, which is the hormone responsible for keeping your blood sugar levels in check. Many people are born with this type of diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes often comes on the heels of prediabetes, which is a condition in which your body becomes resistant to insulin and you can’t produce enough of the hormone to overcome this resistance, leaving you with high levels of glucose in your bloodstream.

There are other types of diabetes, such as gestational diabetes, but the two above are the most common.

What causes diabetes?

The answer to this question depends upon the type of diabetes you’re diagnosed with. As outlined above, type 1 diabetes is largely something you’re born with, though the exact cause is unknown and may include environmental factors, as well.

When it comes to type 2 diabetes, as well as prediabetes, the onset of the condition is usually triggered by one or more of the following:

  • Obesity
  • Genetics
  • Lack of exercise
  • Aging
  • High blood pressure
  • Race (African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, and American Indians are more susceptible)

Gender can also play a role in type 2 diabetes: Women who’ve had gestational diabetes or polycystic ovary syndrome are more vulnerable.

How is diabetes treated?

The key to managing diabetes is to be more aware of the glucose levels in your blood so that you can take action. The doctors at Integrative Primary Care go about this using the latest techniques, including:

  • Medtronic sugar monitoring
  • Regular A1C blood tests
  • Finger sticks

Through vigilant monitoring, you can stay one step ahead of your diabetes and make the necessary tweaks to bring your blood sugar levels down.

Dr. Zaidi also recommends lifestyle changes, which can go a long way toward better controlling your diabetes, including:

  • Losing weight
  • Exercising more
  • Better nutrition

The complications that can arise from diabetes are serious, such as heart disease and neuropathy, so by addressing your problem from every angle you can ward off these unfortunate developments.

For expert oversight of your diabetes, call Integrative Primary Care or request an appointment using the online booking tool.