Specialty diabetology
Diabetology deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus can occur in various forms. The most important are type 1 and type 2 diabetes as well as gestational diabetes. All forms of diabetes are caused by a deficiency or lack of effectiveness of the blood sugar-lowering hormone insulin. This is why diabetes also falls under the field of endocrinology – the specialist area for hormone-related diseases.
Diabetologists in hospitals usually treat patients who have already been diagnosed with diabetes (e.g. by their GP). Their task (especially at the beginning) is therefore to inform patients about the disease and to draw up an individual treatment plan. This depends on the form of diabetes and on individual factors (e.g. severity of the disease, exercise and dietary habits of the patient).
Treatment of diabetes and secondary diseases
In general, the treatment of diabetes is based on general measures (proper diet, sufficient exercise, etc.) and medication (oral blood glucose-lowering drugs or insulin injections).
