Best North Carolina Preventive Medicine Specialists

Drug Abuse and Drug Addiction
Drug abuse is a disease characterized by continued misuse of drugs even when faced with drug-related job, legal, health, or family difficulties. Problems associated with drug abuse must have existed a minimum of 12 months to meet the diagnosis.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease COPD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a chronic, treatable lung disease in which the airways become narrowed and restrict airflow out of the lungs, making breathing very difficult. The condition is most often caused by smoking cigarettes. The two most common forms of COPD are: Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis. Although these diseases often occur together, you may have symptoms more characteristic of one than the other. Typically, patients with COPD have chronic shortness of breath and a chronic cough, frequently with coughing up phlegm.

Obesity
Overweight and obesity are defined as having a body mass index [BMI] greater than or equal to 25 and 30, respectively. In children, the BMI is based on growth charts. Being overweight and obese occur when calorie intake is consistently greater than the number of calories burned through activity and basic metabolic processes.

Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a disorder caused by autoimmune distruction of the insulin secreting cells of the pancreas resulting in the body's inability to produce sufficient insulin to meet bodily needs. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows the body to use sugar for energy. Without insulin, glucose (sugar) from the carbohydrate food you eat cannot enter cells. This causes glucose to build up in the blood, leaving your body cells and tissues starved for energy. While a variety of tissue transplantation techniques are under development and some genetically-based treatments have been proposed, at this point in time, the only widely-available treatment for type 1 diabetes is the injection of insulin.

Type 2 Diabetes
Related Media: Diabetes - Your Management Plan

Type 2 Diabetes is primarily a disorder in which the cells in the body are not responding to the high levels of insulin circulating in the body. The body becomes increasingly resistant to insulin. In end-stage type 2 diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas are not producing enough insulin.

In His Own Words: Living With Obsessive-compulsive Disorder


Diabetes Insipidus
There are two forms of diabetes insipidus (DI): Central diabetes insipidus (Central DI)-caused by inadequate antidiuretic hormone (ADH)Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI)-due to renal cells in the kidneys not responding to ADH

Diabetic Foot Ulcer
Diabetic foot ulcers are sores that occur on the feet of people with Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes. Up to 25% of people with diabetes develop foot problems. Diabetic foot ulcers usually occur on the bottom of the foot. They precede over 80% of leg amputations in the US. However, the sooner diabetic foot ulcers are treated, the better the outcome.

Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage associated with diabetes. It results in damage to the nerves in a person's feet, legs, eyes, and those controlling bodily functions, such as digestion, blood pressure and heart rate. Diabetic neuropathy can lead to serious complications, including Diabetic Foot Ulcer , infection, and loss of limb.

Obesity-Children and Teens
Being overweight or obese means your weight is above an ideal weight range. Appropriate weight ranges are calculated using the body mass index (BMI). For anyone under 20 years of age, these scales are based on height, weight, sex, and date of birth. Child and teen BMI results differ from adult BMI. This is because they are compared to the results of other children and teens in the same age range. This extra step takes into account that children and teens are still growing. BMI levels for anyone under age 20 are as follows:Underweight-BMI at or below the 5th percentile for the age groupDesired weight-BMI between the 5th-84th percentiles for the age groupOverweight-BMI between the 85th-94th percentiles for the age groupObese-BMI at or above the 95th percentile for the age group