Diabetes

Overview

Diabetes occurs when your blood glucose ( blood sugar) is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. When your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin well, glucose stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells (high blood sugar). Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems (heart and vascular disease, stroke, kidney disease, retinal and nerve damage). Although diabetes has no cure, you can take steps to manage your diabetes and stay healthy.

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This article from the NIH explains diabetes really well.

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Managing diabetes includes:

• Diet, Diet, Diet (Lower carbohydrate intake, lower glucose. See page on diet)
  

• Exercise (Improves circulation and energy, builds muscle that burn more fuel)
  

• Home Glucose monitoring (Ideal 6-8mmol/l)
  

• Footcare, eye exams, regular labs and visits (find complications early)
  

• Vaccine updates (pneumococcal, COVID-19)
  

• Smoking cessation (reduces cardiovascular risk)
  

• Oral medicine (Helps cells use more glucose, makes the insulin you have more effective, helps organs in glucose metabolism)
  

• Injectable medicine  (Similar to some oral medicine but longer effect)
  

• Insulin (Injectable to provide insulin your pancreas is not making anymore)

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We care for diabetics by doing blood tests and diabetic visits every 3-4 months (office or phone). We monitor blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, kidney function, cholesterol, do foot exams and manage prescriptions. We also work with our Diabetic Educators at the Barrie Family Health Team and refer to endocrinologists in some cases.