Better Management of your Diabetes
Diabetes is persistently raised blood sugar either due to the lack of insuline , the hormone produced by the pancreas , which regulates sugar levels or by increasing ineffectiveness and/ or resistance to insulin.
Raised sugar cause poor healing in tissues ( ulcers , skin infections ) , artherosclerosis (clogging up ) of blood vessels in heart , brain and limbs , small vessel disease affecting the functioning of nerves in limbs , soft tissue organs like the kidney(eventually kidney failure) or the eye (retinal blindness) Whether and how fast complications occur is dependant on early diagnosis and recognition of raised sugar, tight as possible control of sugar levels , but also management of other risk factors, worsening diabetes effects, like smoking, overweight, high blood pressure , raised cholesterol, opportunistic illness (vaccination for influenca , pneumococcal infection). Diabetics have a normal life expectancy and near normal quality of life if they are properly managed and engage in treatment, different to times before 1920 when insuline was first used and diabetes was almost a death sentence. The Management of diabetes however is very complex and different for every patient, therefore even now best done under involvement of GP’s , specialists , nurses and other health professionals , ideally via an individualised careplan for every patien,t detailing their aims in diet , weight loss, exercise, monitoring and management of contributing risk factors, visits to eye and other specialists , individualised medication treatments. A care plan seems to be a bit of ticking exercise but evidence shows that patients fair better on coordinated handling than GP management alone.
The Australia Health report 2010 shows: Diabetes will become the new health burden for Australia in the next 6 years, overtaking Heart disease , Depression and Anxiety. 275 new cases a day are diagnosed in Australia ,that is 100000 cases over the last year. This has been recognized by government and opposition alike, one assigning a considerable dollar amount to GP’s and Allied Health Services to develop personalized Diabetes care from 2012 and the other one looking at increasing rebates for all health professionals in chronic disease management. The Way forward will be the offering of Diabetes Lifestyle Clinics, uniting all GP’s and Health professionals under one roof and with one aim to manage your diabetes optimally. Panaceum Geraldton starts to run such a model clinic form 24 8 2010 , where Diabetes Nurse Educator ,Exercise Physiologist, Dietitian will review your status and advice on newest management available individualised to your diabetes all within 1 h and 20 minutes and bulkbilled on 3 episodes of care under your GP diabetes careplan. This aims at the optimal management of Foot care, diet, and Exercise and will give individualized information and advice.
It remains paramount to have annual health checks with your GP ,in particular if you have family history of diabetes, are overweight, but also after age of 45 or if you show possible diabetes symptoms like: lasting tiredness , thirst , excessive urination or Weight loss.
Helko Schenk
Geraldton Medical Group
12 8 2010sources:
- www.abc.net.au/health
- Diabetes Australia
- patient.co.uk
- GMG Editorial Lifestyle Clinic
Diabetes is persistently raised blood sugar either due to the lack of insuline , the hormone produced by the pancreas , which regulates sugar levels or by increasing ineffectiveness and/ or resistance to insulin.
Raised sugar cause poor healing in tissues ( ulcers , skin infections ) , artherosclerosis (clogging up ) of blood vessels in heart , brain and limbs , small vessel disease affecting the functioning of nerves in limbs , soft tissue organs like the kidney(eventually kidney failure) or the eye (retinal blindness) Whether and how fast complications occur is dependant on early diagnosis and recognition of raised sugar, tight as possible control of sugar levels , but also management of other risk factors, worsening diabetes effects, like smoking, overweight, high blood pressure , raised cholesterol, opportunistic illness (vaccination for influenca , pneumococcal infection). Diabetics have a normal life expectancy and near normal quality of life if they are properly managed and engage in treatment, different to times before 1920 when insuline was first used and diabetes was almost a death sentence. The Management of diabetes however is very complex and different for every patient, therefore even now best done under involvement of GP’s , specialists , nurses and other health professionals , ideally via an individualised careplan for every patien,t detailing their aims in diet , weight loss, exercise, monitoring and management of contributing risk factors, visits to eye and other specialists , individualised medication treatments. A care plan seems to be a bit of ticking exercise but evidence shows that patients fair better on coordinated handling than GP management alone.
The Australia Health report 2010 shows: Diabetes will become the new health burden for Australia in the next 6 years, overtaking Heart disease , Depression and Anxiety. 275 new cases a day are diagnosed in Australia ,that is 100000 cases over the last year. This has been recognized by government and opposition alike, one assigning a considerable dollar amount to GP’s and Allied Health Services to develop personalized Diabetes care from 2012 and the other one looking at increasing rebates for all health professionals in chronic disease management. The Way forward will be the offering of Diabetes Lifestyle Clinics, uniting all GP’s and Health professionals under one roof and with one aim to manage your diabetes optimally. Panaceum Geraldton starts to run such a model clinic form 24 8 2010 , where Diabetes Nurse Educator ,Exercise Physiologist, Dietitian will review your status and advice on newest management available individualised to your diabetes all within 1 h and 20 minutes and bulkbilled on 3 episodes of care under your GP diabetes careplan. This aims at the optimal management of Foot care, diet, and Exercise and will give individualized information and advice.
It remains paramount to have annual health checks with your GP ,in particular if you have family history of diabetes, are overweight, but also after age of 45 or if you show possible diabetes symptoms like: lasting tiredness , thirst , excessive urination or Weight loss.
Helko Schenk
Geraldton Medical Group
12 8 2010sources:
- www.abc.net.au/health
- Diabetes Australia
- patient.co.uk
- GMG Editorial Lifestyle Clinic
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