Charlotte Edition

By Amanda Tezyk, APRN, BSN, RN What is blood sugar? Blood sugar, or glucose, is your body’s main energy source. We get glucose from the food we eat, and our blood carries it around to all the cells in the body to give them the energy to function. Glucose mainly comes from the carbohydrates we eat, though our bodies can …

By Afton Patterson Do you suffer from frequent shortness of breath? Do simple things like climbing stairs or grocery shopping leave you wheezing and coughing? If so, you may be one of millions of Americans who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). According to the CDC, 16 million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD, but there are millions more …

By Dr. Noël Crosby, Au.D. The Diabetes and Hearing Loss Connection Diabetes can lead to nerve damage that affects many parts of the body, including your hands, feet, eyes, and kidneys. Diabetes can also cause nerve damage in your ears. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage small blood vessels and nerves in the inner ear. Low blood sugar …

Managing diabetes is hard! You are constantly reminded to reduce your sugar intake, monitor your carbs, and prioritize complex carbohydrates over sugary, processed foods. The instructions and guidelines are never ending! You can also experiment with a low glycemic diet, which involves using the glycemic index to create a meal plan using foods that take longer to break down into …

By Dr. Lori DeBlasi Why does Diabetes effect the feet??? Factors that contribute to foot issues in a patient with Diabetes include: 1. Neuropathy In the US, the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is Diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, 60 to 70% of patients with diabetes will develop neuropathy within their lifetime. The most common symptoms of …

By Dr. Thomas Hofmann It’s unlikely that many will ever forget September 28, 2022 – the day Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida, bringing historic destruction and damage. Such a natural disaster can bring forth mental and physical health problems. Many faced physical injury or death, plus the damage and/or loss of their homes and possessions. The images we’ve …

By Lenita Hanson MD, F.A.C.E., CDCES, CPI According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 3 American adults (96 million) have prediabetes. Even more shocking is the fact that 8 in 10 don’t even know they have it. Many, if not most, will develop type 2 diabetes within the next 5 years if no action is taken to …

By Duane Wiggins, M.D. Board Certified Ophthalmologist, Cataract & Refractive Surgeon with Quigley Eye Specialists All of us should be getting our regular eye examinations to make sure our eyes are healthy, but the importance of people with diabetes getting their recommended exams is critical. In both type 1 and type 2 diabetics, the high blood sugar is highly involved …

By Omar Henriquez, M.D. If you’ve had a compression fracture in one of your vertebrae, then you know how painful it can be. It can make moving difficult due to bone fragments rubbing against each other. For fractures like this, kyphoplasty may be a viable solution. What Is Kyphoplasty? Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure designed to stop the pain …

The À La Carte Direct Primary Care (DPC) model is new alternative payment model for improving access to high-functioning healthcare without a monthly membership fee or high annual commitments. No third-party billing. No interference or restrictions from health insurance companies. The defining element of DPC is an enduring and trusting relationship between a patient and his or her primary care …