DIABETES
MELLITUS
Diabetes is a disease that affects
the way the body uses food. It is characterized
by the inability to produce or properly use
insulin, a hormone that helps control blood
sugar levels. Every minute a person's blood
sugar is higher than it should be, the disease
damages the nervous and circulatory systems,
leading to blindness, amputations and increasing
disability.
And while more and more Mainers are being diagnosed
with the disease, the good news is that it can
be controlled. Careful management of diabetes
makes it possible for diabetics to lead active
and long lives.
Facts about Diabetes:
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• Type 1 diabetes results from the body’s
inability to produce insulin, a hormone that
regulates blood glucose. Individuals with
Type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day
to “unlock” the cells of the body,
allowing glucose to enter and fuel them. Symptoms
include increased thirst and urination, constant
hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, extreme
fatigue, nausea and vomiting. People who develop
Type 1 diabetes may have some or none of the
symptoms, only a physician can diagnose diabetes.
• Type 2 diabetes results from the body
being unable to properly use insulin or produce
enough insulin. This accounts for 90 to 95
percent of all diagnosed cases. Most people
with Type 2 are over 40, but numbers are increasing
in children and young adults. Risk factors
include being overweight, physical inactivity,
and a family history of diabetes. Symptoms
of Type 2 diabetes include increased thirst
and urination, extreme fatigue, blurred vision,
increased appetite, weight loss, dry, itchy
skin, frequent infections, and tingling or
loss of feeling in hands or feet. People who
develop Type 2 diabetes may have some or none
of the symptoms, only a physician can diagnose
diabetes.
• In Maine the estimated prevalence
of the disease has tripled in the past twenty
years. Well over 60,000 Mainers have been
diagnosed with the disease and as many as
1 in 11 Maine adults have the disease, according
to the Maine Diabetes Health System Strategic
Plan.
• Complications of diabetes may include
hear disease, kidney disease, eye disease,
nerve disease, atherosclerosis, stroke, bone
or gum infections, and birth defects in babies
born to diabetic women.
Managing diabetes carefully can reduce
the risks of some complications.
-
• Diet and exercise are important for
everyone, and essential for those managing
diabetes.
• Some diabetics need medication to
help keep their blood sugar “normal”.
Medication may include insulin injections,
diabetic pills or both.
• Managing stress is very important
for those with diabetes. When people are experiencing
stress, hormones are released that act to
raise one’s blood sugar.
• Often the doctor will have you have
a type of blood test to see how well you are
managing your diabetes. The test is called
A1C. It measures the average amount of blood
sugar over the past three months.
• Diabetics are encouraged to self monitor
their blood sugar on a regular basis.
• Diabetics are encouraged to ask about
getting an annual flu shot as people with
diabetes have an increased risk of serious
complications from influenza and pneumonia.
• Ask your doctor about the DSMT program
or call for more information (see below).
The Diabetes Self Management Training (DSMT)
class or program includes five classes, covering
topics like nutrition and meal planning, medications,
monitoring and acute and chronic complications
of diabetes. Because of the importance of individual
choices in diet and lifestyle, RFGH’s Certified
Diabetes Instructor, Margaret Buschmann, RN meets
privately for one hour with each person who takes
the classes to discuss their needs and to plan
a program. Patients then meet privately with Redington-Fairview’s
Dietician for an hour to develop a meal plan.
The goal is that those who take the classes leave
with a better understanding of their own bodies
and their disease, and most importantly how they
avoid the damage caused by diabetes. To contact
Redington - Fairview’s Diabetes Self Management
Training program, call 858-2261, or write to DSMT
- Education Department, Redington-Fairview General
Hospital, P.O. Box 468, Skowhegan, Maine 04976.
To contact Redington - Fairview's Diabetes Self
Management Training program, call 474-5121, ext.
261, or write to DSMT - Education Department,
Redington-Fairview General Hospital, P.O. Box
468, Skowhegan, Maine 04976.
In addition to the DSMT program, RFGH also offers
a free monthly support group for diabetics, generally
offered on the first Tuesday of the month from
6-8 pm (not offered during the summer months).
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