Diabetes Care in West Chester Township, OH

Diabetes care from your family doctor

Diabetes is a long-term condition, and it works best when the same team follows you over time. At Beckett Ridge Family Medicine, your provider knows your history, your other health conditions and your medicines. That makes it easier to build a diabetes plan that fits your life and to adjust it as things change.

We care for patients with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes from West Chester Township, Liberty Township, Mason and nearby communities. If you have type 1 diabetes or your diabetes is hard to control, we can work alongside an endocrinologist, a doctor who specializes in diabetes and hormones.

Monitoring your diabetes

Diabetes can affect many parts of the body over time, including the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes, nerves and feet. Regular care helps you and your provider spot problems early. Your diabetes care may include:

• Regular visits to review how you are feeling, your blood sugar readings if you check at home, and how your medicines are working.
• Lab work as needed to track your blood sugar over time and to check on your kidneys and cholesterol.
• Blood pressure checks at your visits, since blood pressure matters for your heart and kidneys.
• Foot checks to look for sores, skin changes, numbness or poor blood flow.
• Eye care reminders and a referral to an eye doctor for regular eye exams.
• Referrals to specialists, such as an endocrinologist, kidney doctor, podiatrist or diabetes educator, when you need one.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has a helpful overview of how to prevent diabetes problems.

Medication management

Many people with type 2 diabetes need medicine at some point, and the right plan can change over the years. Options include pills, injectable medicines and insulin. Your provider will explain how each medicine works, what side effects to watch for and how it fits with the other medicines you take.

We review your medicine list at your visits and adjust it when your numbers, your health or your goals change. If cost or side effects make a medicine hard to stay on, tell us. There is often another option to talk about.

Prediabetes: an early warning

Prediabetes means your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Most people with prediabetes have no clear symptoms, so it is often found through routine lab work at a checkup or annual physical.

A prediabetes result is a chance to act. According to the CDC, losing a small amount of weight if you have overweight and getting regular physical activity can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Your provider can help you set realistic goals and follow up with lab work as needed.

Lifestyle support you can keep

Food, movement, sleep and stress all affect blood sugar. We focus on small, practical changes rather than strict rules. Your provider can talk with you about:

• Simple changes to meals and snacks that fit the way you and your family eat
• Ways to add activity that work with your schedule, joints and energy level
• Sleep, stress and how they can affect your blood sugar
• Quitting smoking, if you smoke

For many people, weight is a big part of the picture. If you would like more structured help, our medical weight loss program offers provider-guided support that can work alongside your diabetes care.

When to call us

Call the office during office hours if your blood sugar readings are often higher or lower than your provider expects, if you have a new sore on your foot that is not healing, or if you feel unwell and are not sure why. For a life-threatening emergency, such as confusion, fainting or trouble breathing, call 911.

Diabetes often comes with other conditions, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Learn more about our chronic care for these conditions.