All The Ways We Care (4pg)
All The Ways We Care
The Comprehensive Diabetes Care Program At Main Street Hospital
Should you be concerned about having diabetes? Consider this startling fact: an estimated 105 million Americans have either diabetes or prediabetes, which is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes and its serious complications. Main Street Hospital is committed to providing our community with all the resources to test, prevent, manage and treat this disease.
Overweight and 45 or older: you need to be tested for diabetes during your next routine medical office visit.
Normal weight and 45 or older: ask your doctor during your next office visit if testing is appropriate.
Younger than 45: your doctor may recommend testing if you have other risk factors.
These include:
• High blood pressure
• Low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides
• Family history of diabetes
• History of gestational diabetes
The most common way to diagnose diabetes or prediabetes is the Fasting Plasma Glucose Test. It’s a simple blood test performed by your physician. With this test, levels below 100 are considered normal. Levels between 100 and 125 can indicate prediabetes. Levels of 126 or higher typically lead to a diagnosis of diabetes.
Education and Support
Nutrition Education: Diet plays a critical role in managing diabetes. Our staff and registered dieticians provide nutritional counseling to help with meal planning, cooking instruction and healthy food choices.
Weight Control: Maintaining a healthy weight is one of most effective ways to manage and delay diabetes. People with prediabetes can lower their risk for Type 2 diabetes by losing 7 percent of their body weight.
Exercise: Regular exercise also helps control and delay diabetes. Our staff can develop an exercise program to help patients receive long-term, sustainable results.
Diabetes Support Groups: Support groups give encouragement, motivation and advice to help diabetics make the necessary lifestyle changes. Our nurse educators and other staff members help patients manage their day-to-day self-care.
Treatment
Blood Glucose Control
Our expert staff helps diabetics monitor and control blood sugar levels using the latest tools and techniques.
Medications
Insulin plays a critical role in the treatment of diabetes. With more than 20 types available, your doctor can help you find the right type of insulin for your situation.
Wound Care
It’s estimated that 6.5 million diabetics suffer with chronic or non-healing wounds. That’s because wounds heal more slowly for people with diabetes and can quickly become infected without warning. Diabetes can also cause nerve damage that disrupts pain signals. As a result, diabetics often don’t realize they have a wound, especially on the bottom of their feet. A simple break in the skin can quickly become infected. If not treated, it can lead to amputation of the limb. More than 80,000 Americans a year lose a foot or leg because of diabetes.
Our Wound Care Services provide advanced treatment for diabetic ulcers and other non-healing wounds by utilizing a variety of techniques and treatments. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT), for example, uses a pressurized chamber to deliver oxygen to the wound and promote faster healing. Debridement, the medical removal of dead, infected or damaged tissue, is another technique. In some cases, special shoes may be prescribed. Patient education is also provided.
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