Expertise and empathy in diabetes management
If you are among the approximately 1.7 million Australians living with diabetes, the diabetes educator, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals consulting from South Coast Medical clinics are here to work with you and take charge of your condition.
What causes diabetes?
Your body converts most of what you eat into a form of sugar called glucose. Glucose feeds your cells and gives you energy.
Your hardworking pancreas is the organ responsible for making insulin, the hormone responsible for getting glucose into your cells.
Diabetes happens when your body has difficulty producing or using insulin effectively. Glucose builds up causing your blood sugar to rise to higher than normal levels.
Uncontrolled blood sugar levels put you at risk of serious conditions including, heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and foot and lower leg amputations.
5 key diabetes facts
1. Diabetes is a chronic condition that currently cannot be cured. However, with dedicated medical and allied health support, people can learn to manage their diabetes.
2. There are three types of diabetes
• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system destroys insulin-producing cells. Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age but usually develops in childhood or adolescence. Between 10 and 15 out of every 100 people with diabetes have type 1.
• Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It’s caused by the pancreas failing to produce and distribute insulin effectively. As a result, the body develops insulin resistance and blood sugar levels rise. Historically, Type 2 diabetes occurred most often in adults aged over 45. However, increasing numbers of younger people are now developing this condition.
• Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and almost always disappears once the baby is born. Gestational diabetes happens when the mother’s body struggles to adapt to increased levels of pregnancy-related hormones. These hormones can then interfere with the normal action of her insulin.
3. Around 60 percent of type 2 diabetes is preventable by making lifestyle changes.
4. Prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but insufficiently high to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Around one in four adults over the age of 25 years has prediabetes or diabetes. Worldwide levels of prediabetes and diabetes generally are increasing. This is mainly due to sedentary lifestyles and increased obesity.
5. Diabetes has some clear symptoms, which commonly include increased thirst and hunger, and frequent urination. However, type 2 and gestational diabetes can have no initial symptoms and may go undiagnosed for a long time.
Are you at risk of diabetes?
You can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes by having a healthy lifestyle.
Here are the top 5 out of 10 top tips for keeping diabetes at bay:
1. Maintain a healthy weight
2. Do regular physical activity
3. Make healthy food choices
4. Manage your blood pressure and cholesterol levels
5. Don’t smoke
The AUSDRISK tool may give you some useful initial risk indicators. If you have questions about your results an appointment with one of our GPs may be your next step.
Taking control of diabetes – how your doctor can help.
Whether you’ve recently been diagnosed or you’ve been living with diabetes for some time, practitioners consulting at South Coast Medical can help you understand and manage your condition.
Because diabetes is often a lifelong and complex condition, your doctor can coordinate a complete healthcare team to support you.
Complete, coordinated diabetes care
Helping you manage your diabetes may include your GP, your nurse, Diabetes Educator, a Dietician and a Podiatrist. Additional support may also involve a Physiotherapist. Your GP will coordinate your care in tandem with skilled and experienced allied health professionals.
Your doctor can work with you to tailor a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) Plan designed to keep you as well as you can possibly be. They can support you to:
- Monitor your blood sugar levels
- Make eating and exercising well enjoyable and healthy
- Quit hazardous habits like smoking
- Keep up to date with changes in medication and technologies for managing diabetes
Understanding Diabetes
Your practitioner will understand how challenging it can be to balance everything involved in diabetes management. Integrating diabetes into your busy life means learning and monitoring how your body responds to food, physical activity and insulin.
Your doctor can explain things clearly; they'll nudge you towards healthy lifestyle choices that work for you and encourage you to stick with them. As your condition changes they can help you adapt. Dealing with your diabetes is rarely simple, the aim to make it easier for you.
Where to next?
If you have a question about your diabetes risk or you’re concerned about managing your current condition, book an appointment today with the nursing team at any of the clinics or with the Diabetes Educator Lynda at the Rosebud Clinic or any of the associated health professionals to assist you with your diabetes care.
Sources:
www.diabetesvic.org.au
www.diabetesaustralia.com.au
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
www.aihw.gov.au
www.lifeprogram.org.au