We are experiencing very high call volumes! We appreciate your patience as we upgrade our phone systems to accommodate the phone calls. We encourage patients with portal access to please use your AthenaHealth portal for communication. For patients without portal access, please leave a phone message with your name, date of birth, phone number and reason for the call. We will contact you. DO NOT leave messages on this website. This website is not monitored for patient messages. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room.
Skip to main content

Diabetes & Hypertension Specialist

Comprehensive Pediatrics and Internal Medicine

Marquisha D Moore Jarmon, MD

Board Certified Internal Medicine & Primary Care & Pediatrics located in Hoover, AL

The increasing numbers of both adults and children who are overweight or obese have led to conditions like diabetes and hypertension becoming more common in the United States. Double board-certified physician Marquisha Moore Jarmon, MD, of Comprehensive Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, provides both preventive screening and effective treatments for patients of any age who are at risk of developing diabetes and hypertension. Call the office in Hoover, Alabama, to arrange your screening tests or book an appointment online today.

Diabetes & Hypertension Q & A

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a health problem where your body can’t regulate blood sugar levels properly. There are two main types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes

If you have Type 1 diabetes, it means your body isn’t making any of the hormone insulin that you need for blood sugar regulation. This is because your immune system kills the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes usually starts before the age of 20 and requires lifelong treatment.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes develops later in life when your pancreas stops making enough insulin or your body becomes resistant to insulin. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable.

It typically starts in middle age or later, brought on by being overweight or obese and having an unhealthy lifestyle. However, increasing numbers of children are developing Type 2 diabetes as childhood obesity rates go up.

Diabetes can cause serious complications, including sight loss, kidney failure, and amputation.

What is hypertension?

Hypertension is a problem with your blood pressure. Blood pumping from your heart into your arteries and around your body is under pressure, which needs to be at a certain level for good health.

If the pressure gets too high, it can damage your arteries and lead to potentially life-threatening health problems like heart attack and stroke.

How are diabetes and hypertension diagnosed?

Dr. Jarmon can diagnose diabetes and hypertension with simple in-office tests.

For diabetes, she takes a blood sample that measures the levels of sugar in your blood. For hypertension, she uses a blood pressure cuff that wraps around your arm to measure the force of blood as it pumps through your arteries.

These simple tests can detect the earliest stages of diabetes and hypertension before they become a serious problem. This is vital because both these conditions cause few — if any — symptoms before reaching a critical level.

Regular screenings for diabetes and hypertension and similar problems like high cholesterol can make a massive difference to your health and quality of life. These conditions are often reversible (apart from Type 1 diabetes) if diagnosed early enough.

How are diabetes and hypertension treated?

Both diabetes and hypertension benefit from making changes to a healthier lifestyle. Losing weight if you’re overweight or obese is essential, as this is one of the chief causes of diabetes and hypertension. Eating a healthier diet, quitting smoking, and getting regular exercise all help reduce blood pressure and regulate blood sugar levels.

You might need medication if your condition is severe, so Dr. Jarmon might prescribe pills to lower your blood pressure or help regulate blood sugar.

To arrange your screening tests for diabetes and hypertension, call Comprehensive Pediatrics and Internal Medicine or book an appointment online today.