Diabetes Education
Program
Diabetes Management
Diabetes In Pregnancy
Gestational Diabetes
Controlling Diabetes
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with diabetes,
you might be wondering where to go to learn more about managing
the condition. The answer is Mercer Health Diabetes Education
Program.
At Mercer Health Home Care we take diabetes very seriously.
That is why we offer a special Education Program that emphasizes
Diabetes Management, Diet Counseling, and Carbohydrate Counting
in
a one on one setting or in Diabetic Education Classes and
Support Groups for both Patients and their Families.
About 1 in 12 Americans have diabetes. Many do not know they have it! The more
you know about diabetes, the more power you have to live your life the way you
want to with good diabetes control. Mercer Health Diabetes program offer education
and support to people with diabetes, enabling you to be
able to control your blood sugar and disease process so that you can live a full
quality life.
Mercer Health Diabetes Education Services offers a series
of education classes covering all aspects of your diabetes
care, including:
• Treatment plans for diabetes
•
Nutrition management: individualized meal plans, grocery shopping
guidelines,
restaurant dining plans, etc..
• Managing diabetes during illness
• Blood sugar testing
• Exercise
• Medications
Our Staff includes:
• A registered nurses
•
A registered dietitian, certified in
diabetes education
•
A registered pharmacist, available as needed
•
A social worker, available as needed
Classes are offered at various times through the day to accommodate
your busy schedule. Individual sessions on meal planning,
blood sugar testing and insulin injection are also available.
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Diabetes Management
Diabetes is a disease
in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin.
Insulin is a hormone that is needed
to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed
for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a
mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors
such as
obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. There
are 18.2 million people in the United States, or 6.3% of
the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 13
million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately,
5.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that
they have the disease.
Types of Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes results from
the body's failure to produce insulin, the hormone that "unlocks" the
cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them.
It is estimated that 5-10%
of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1
diabetes. These patients will require insulin to treat their
diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes results from
insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to
properly use insulin), combined with relative
insulin deficiency. Approximately 90-95% (17 million) of
Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.
These patients may not require insulin to treat their diabetes.
Other Specific types of diabetes
include people with specific genetic abnormalities of the
enzymes involved in carbohydrate
metabolism and people with extensive destruction of the pancreas
by disease or following pancreatic surgery. People on certain
medications including high dose steroids and people with
certain other endocrine disorders may also develop diabetes.
These specific causes of diabetes are however very rare.
Pre Diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person's blood
glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough
for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. There are 41 million
Americans who have pre-diabetes, in addition to the 18.2
million with diabetes. In order to determine whether or not
a patient has pre-diabetes or diabetes, health care providers
conduct a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose
Tolerance Test (OGTT). Either test can be used to diagnose
pre-diabetes or diabetes. Poorly treated diabetes may lead
to long term diabetic complications, which include kidney
damage, diabetic eye disease, nerve damage and
foot disease.
In addition, Diabetes is a major risk factor for Heart Attack.
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Diabetes in Pregnancy
Most Pregnant women with diabetes already had diabetes before
they became pregnant. For these patients is very important
that their diabetes is well controlled before they get
pregnant, to reduce the risk of abnormal birth defects.
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Gestational Diabetes
Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who
have high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy are
said to have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes affects
about 4% of all pregnant women - about 135,000 cases of gestational
diabetes in the United States each year.
When poorly treated, Gestational Diabetes can lead to macrosomia,
or a "fat" baby. Babies with macrosomia face health
problems of their own, including damage to their shoulders
during birth. Because of the extra insulin made by the baby's
pancreas, newborns may have very low blood glucose levels
at birth and are also at higher risk for breathing problems.
Babies with excess insulin become children who are at risk
for obesity and adults who are at risk for type 2 diabetes.
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Controlling Diabetes
You
can take control of your diabetes and enjoy a good healthy
lifestyle if you pay special attention to:
• Nutrition: What you
eat
• Exercise: Excess weight
makes diabetes harder to manage
• Monitoring: Frequent
monitoring of blood glucose can help you keep diabetes under
control
• Attitude: Your feelings
affect your health
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