Sirius Health is pleased to offer our patients comprehensive and integrated diabetes management and treatment. Managing diabetes takes a team effort and our friendly and accessible clinic offers services in Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Vietnamese to cater to patients from Chatswood.
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that requires lifelong management as there is no cure for it. People who suffer from diabetes have high blood sugar because their bodies don’t produce sufficient levels of insulin, or because their cells do not respond to the insulin that they produce.
There are two types of diabetes
Type 1 diabetes: triggered by an auto-immune destruction of the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas
Type 2 diabetes: the body does not produce enough insulin, and its tissues do not respond appropriately to it.
The Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, in its report ‘Diabetes: The Silent And Pandemic And Its Impact On Australia’ says that there around 1-million Australians who have been diagnosed with diabetes, and that type 2 diabetes is more common in males than in females.
Early Intervention Is Key
At Sirius Health we believe that informed patients make the best decisions about their healthcare. We assist our patients with a comprehensive healthcare service that includes diabetes prevention strategies, diabetes diagnosis and diabetes management plans.
Managing Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes, which occurs in adults, is the most common form of this chronic disease, that requires an integrated diabetes management plan including a balanced eating plan, an exercise routine, weight maintenance and regular check-ups and insulin medication where required.Â
Unmanaged diabetes can put you at risk of kidney failure, blindness, stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD).
When you have Type 2 diabetes your body develops insulin resistance and convert glucose into energy because your pancreas doesn’t work as effectively as is required to manage the glucose levels in your blood.
Adhering to a healthy diet and eating at regular intervals helps to stabilise blood glucose levels – and it also helps you to maintain a healthy body weight.
Monitoring your blood glucose on a regular basis can tell you whether the treatment management plan you are following is working, or whether adjustments need to be made.
When you do regular exercise, it has a positive effect on your insulin levels, lowering blood pressure and reducing your risk of heart disease. Check out our post about the best home treadmills to help you stay fit indoors.
The objective of any diabetes management plan is to stabilise your blood glucose level to ensure it is in the range of 4 – 6 mmol/L. Some people do require insulin in order to manage their blood glucose effectively when their bodies stop producing insulin.Â
Your healthcare practitioner may give you tablets, an injection or insulin as part of your medication, and you will need to check your glucose levels regularly.
For some patients modifying their lifestyle behaviours can be enough to keep diabetes under control, however some people do need to take medication as well. If you do need medication, it is important to maintain your schedule because it can help minimise your chances of complications in the future.
Similarly, if you are given medication it is meant to be taken as part of your integrated diabetes management plan, in conjunction with healthy eating, regular exercise and check ups with your healthcare practitioner.
Managing Type 1 Diabetes
Management of type 1 diabetes is typically through the administration of insulin through injections or a pump, as well as a healthy diet and daily exercise. People who have type 1 diabetes may need to check their glucose levels up to six times a day, with the objective of maintaining a range of between 4 and 6 mmol/L in fasting state.
The Importance Of A Holistic Approach To The Management Of Diabetes
Diabetes has been associated with a range of other health conditions and complications. Patients with diabetes are more susceptible to complications in their eyes, kidneys, feet and cardiovascular systems. Nerve damage may also occur as may diabetic retinopathy.
When diabetes is not managed it may also cause psycho-social stress including burn out, stress, depression, anxiety and sense of overwhelm. Working closely with your healthcare provider can ensure that you receive care and support in as many areas of your life as possible.Â
A well-managed diabetes plan can improve your quality of life and manage your stress on a day-to-day basis. Our warm and caring team is experienced in the management of diabetes and can assist you with an integrated strategy to manage your risk factors.
If you are overweight, losing weight is a very effective and influential way to make managing your diabetes easier. Discuss a weight loss program with your healthcare practitioner because it is important that you do not skip meals or yo-yo diet, as this can cause you to over-do it later on.
Do you need help with diabetes management? You don’t have to do it alone – please contact our friendly team: (02) 9159 6903.
