Information on sugar specialists

Q: What qualifications and experience should I look for when choosing the best sugar specialist doctor in Delhi?

Krishna: Delhi or anywhere else, you should look for a genuine specialist.

Because a variety of doctors treat diabetes in India, some are even fake ones.

The specialists are endocrinologists and even MBBS plus those who hold ordinary diploma in diabetology.

Specialists are required to complete an MD/M.S., or D.N.B. (Diplomate of National Board) in endocrinology and undergo residency training to become a licensed endocrinologist.

Although DNB is considered equivalent to MD/MS courses in India, there are quite a few limitations to this programme. But DNB courses are considered equivalent to a master's degree in India.

Diplomate of National Board (DNB) is a medical qualification awarded by the National Board of Examinations (NBE). The DNB course is approved by the Government of India and is considered equivalent to the postgraduate and post-doctoral programmes offered by the medical colleges in India. Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Master's in Surgery (MS) is mostly limited to a post-graduation course in general medicine and surgery.

An endocrinologist is a healthcare provider who’s an expert in endocrinology — the study of your body’s hormones. Endocrinologists diagnose, treat and manage several different conditions that affect your endocrine system.

Endocrinology is a subspecialty of internal medicine. Endocrinologists are healthcare providers who have trained in the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat endocrine conditions specifically.

Endocrinology is the study of hormones and endocrine glands and organs. Hormone-secreting glands and certain organs in your body make up your endocrine system.

A hormone is a chemical messenger that travels from one endocrine gland or organ in your body to another part of your body through your blood. Hormones help parts of your body communicate with other parts and have a large role in many key bodily functions.

Your body makes and releases over 50 different hormones. Insulin is one of them.

What are the different kinds of endocrinologists?

An endocrinologist may specialize in certain areas of endocrinology called subspecialties, including:

• Diabetes and metabolism: Many hormones play important roles in your metabolism — how your body transforms the food you eat into energy it can use. Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic conditions. An endocrinologist can specialize in the treatment of different kinds of diabetes and other metabolic conditions such as obesity.
• Thyroid disease: Many conditions can affect your thyroid, the butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. An endocrinologist could specialize in these conditions specifically.
• Endocrine oncology: An endocrinologist could specialize in cancers that affect your endocrine system. Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
• Neuroendocrinology: This branch of endocrinology studies the interaction between your nervous system and your endocrine system. For example, it investigates how your brain controls the hormonal activity in your body.
• Pediatric endocrinology: A pediatric endocrinologist specializes in treating children who have endocrine conditions. Some endocrine conditions affect children specifically, and others can affect both children and adults.
• Gender affirmation: Gender affirmation can involve multidisciplinary treatment in which endocrinologists play an important role. Endocrinologists can specialize in sex hormone therapy, which is one aspect of gender affirmation.
• Reproductive endocrinology: Many hormones are involved in sexual functions and reproduction. An endocrinologist could specialize in sexual function and fertility conditions. They may be referred to as fertility specialists.
• Endocrinology nuclear medicine: This branch of endocrinology focuses on using nuclear medicine to treat certain endocrine conditions, especially thyroid conditions.

An endocrinologist can diagnose and treat several different conditions that affect your endocrine system. This section will group several — but not all — conditions that endocrinologists treat into the following categories: Diabetes and metabolic conditions, endocrine cancers and tumours, thyroid conditions, metabolic conditions, sexual development, function and reproduction conditions, calcium and bone conditions.

An endocrinologist can develop treatment and management plans for metabolic conditions. Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic conditions. Types of diabetes and other metabolic conditions include:

* Type 1 diabetes (your pancreas can no longer make insulin due to an autoimmune attack).

* Type 2 diabetes (your body isn’t using the insulin your pancreas makes properly).

* Gestational diabetes (temporary diabetes during pregnancy).

* Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults, or LADA (late-onset Type 1 diabetes).

* Pancreatic diabetes (caused by chronic pancreatitis).

* Brittle diabetes (diabetes with severe swings in blood sugar levels).

* Inherited metabolic diseases.

* Metabolic syndrome.

* Obesity

You should choose an endocrinologist and get treatment depending on your specific condition.