Whittier Street Health Center is proud to recognize November as National Diabetes Month, a time annually devoted to bringing attention to diabetes.  This year’s focus is on managing diabetes by building a health care team.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK; part of the National Institutes of Health), diabetes affects about 37 million Americans, and occurs when a person’s blood glucose, or blood sugar, is too high.  Diabetes can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart, and is linked to some types of cancer.

Working with a health care team can help people with diabetes improve their overall health, but it’s important to remember that YOU are the most important participant in your diabetes care.

Here are some tips to help you manage your diabetes and build your health care team:

• Manage your A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels;
• Prepare for visits with your team, including writing down questions and recording blood glucose results;
• Seek additional support for specific needs, such as an eye doctor or pharmacist, to help customize your diabetes self-care routine;
• Make physical activity a part of your routine;
• Follow a diabetes meal plan; and
• Stay on top of your vaccinations.

Whittier Street Health Center health care professionals provide diabetes care services and work with you to help set goals to manage your diabetes as early as possible, prepare for health care visits (including blood pressure check, foot check, and weight check), identify small changes to create healthy habits, and make physical activity and healthy eating part of your everyday plan.

In addition to the challenges presented by diabetes itself, the disease features a host of other medical complications that become more serious without proper management.  Diabetes Awareness Month is critical to ensuring people understand how they can live healthier lives by appropriately managing their diabetes, and we are proud to help provide those resources.