All The Ways We Care (8pg)

Should you be concerned about having diabetes? The answer is a definite “Yes” when you 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.

With diabetes being such a common health condition, Main Street Hospital is committed to providing our community with all the resources to test, prevent, manage and treat this disease.

Testing

The American Diabetes Association offers the following testing guidelines for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.

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 for diabetes or prediabetes. 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 

Our Diabetes Care Services includes a team of medical specialists who provide information and support in a number of key areas.

Nutrition Education: Diet plays a critical role in managing diabetes. Our expert staff and registered dieticians can provide individual and group nutritional counseling to help patients with meal planning, cooking instruction and making 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 simply by losing 7 percent of their current 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: Managing diabetes successfully requires a great deal of personal responsibility and commitment. 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 their 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 of insulin available, your physician can help you find the right type of insulin for your situation. Learn more about other medications that are available, including oral medications and newly developed injectable medications.

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. High glucose levels stiffen the arteries, so it’s harder for the wound area to receive the oxygen and nutrients needed for healing. 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 the wound is not treated, it can lead to amputation of the limb. In fact, people with diabetes account for 45 percent of the limb amputations in the U.S. More than 80,000 Americans lose a foot or leg each year 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 used by our staff.  In some cases, special shoes may be prescribed. Patient education is also provided.

Sources: American Diabetes Association, CDC, American Diabetes Services