Diabetes Resource Guide - updated August 3, 2010
Living With Diabetes – What you should know
Whether you’ve been living with diabetes for a long time or are newly diagnosed, it’s important that you have information to better understand your condition and what you can do to live a healthy life with diabetes.
The Central East LHIN Diabetes Resource Guide (Second Edition) aims to provide you with some introductory information you need to know to live a full, healthy life with diabetes.
"We were down to 3 booklets from last year when the new shipment arrived. They are an excellent handout at Health Fairs when meeting people from all areas of CELHIN explaining where the nearest DEC is located. We have them in our waiting room which is a high traffic area for us but also Cardiology patients. I replenish the supply weekly . I have taken them to area pharmacies. Within the hospital I have started supplying the nursing units with copies as an update /refresher for inpatients. We have found them useful at our one year follow-up as a refresher. "
"The resource guide neatly packages together all the basic information, including a listing of all the DECs and financial assistance programs available. People can easily find what they need. The guide is a wonderful resource for those who have not yet been able to see a DEC, as well as for family members who are supporting someone living with diabetes. We use it at every event we attend and people will also pick up copies to give to others that they know who have diabetes. They truly appreciate being able to get solid and reliable information. After printing 14,000 guides last year and seeing how quickly they were distributed, there was definitely a need for the 2nd edition and increased print run of 17,500."
This guide is not intended to replace a more thorough diabetes education that can be provided by your healthcare team.
With the support of our Pharmaceutical Industry partners, Pfizer Canada and Novo Nordisk Canada, copies of this guide have been distributed to Diabetes Education Centres across the Central East region.
To download a copy of the guide, please click here.
To download a copy of the guide in FRENCH, please click here. Watch for Tamil and Cantonese translations - COMING SOON.
To download a copy of the guide that also considers people who have Chronic Kidney Disease, please click here.
To request a hard copy of this publication, please call the Central East LHIN office at 905-427-5497/1-866-804-5446 or email centraleast@lhins.on.ca.
What is diabetes?
|
| Type 1 diabetes, usually diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin, a hormone that ensures body energy needs are met. Approximately 10 per cent of people with diabetes have Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. |
| Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not effectively use the insulin that is produced. The remaining 90 per cent of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes. It usually develops in adulthood, although increasing numbers of children in high-risk populations are being diagnosed. |
| Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs in approximately 3.5 per cent of all pregnancies. If a pregnant woman is diagnosed with gestational diabetes, both she and her child have an increased risk of developing diabetes in the future. |
Is diabetes serious?
If left untreated or improperly managed, diabetes can result in a variety of complications, including:
- Heart disease and stroke
- Kidney disease
- Eye disease
- Erectile dysfunction (impotence)
- Nerve damage
The key to preventing or delaying the development of these complications is to take an active role in managing your diabetes and working with your healthcare team.
What are the risk factors for diabetes?
If you are 40 years old or over, you are at risk for Type 2 diabetes and should be tested at least every three years. If any of the following risk factors apply to you, ensure that you are tested earlier and/or more often.
You are at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes if you:
- Are a member of one of the following high-risk groups: Aboriginal, Hispanic, Asian, South Asian or African descent
- Are overweight – especially if you carry most of your weight around your abdomen
- Have a parent, brother or sister with Type 2 diabetes
- Have any health complications associated with diabetes, such as heart disease and stroke, eye, nerve or kidney problems
- Gave birth to a baby weighing more than 4 kg (9 lbs)
- Had gestational diabetes while you were pregnant
- Have a history of impaired glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose or prediabetes
- Have high blood pressure
- Have high cholesterol or other fats in the blood
- Have been diagnosed with any of the following conditions:
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Acanthosis nigricans (darkened patches of skin)
- Schizophrenia
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
The signs and symptoms of diabetes include:
- Unusual thirst
- Frequent urination
- Weight change (either gain or loss)
- Extreme fatigue or lack of energy
- Blurred vision
- Frequent or recurring infections
- Cuts and bruises that are slow to heal
- Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
- Trouble getting or maintaining an erection
Keep in mind that many people with Type 2 diabetes display none of these symptoms. If you think you are at risk, it is important to talk to your doctor, even if you have no symptoms.
Getting the most out of life with diabetes
There is a free, fun and effective self-management program available in our Central East region of Ontario called Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions. This workshop was developed and researched at Stanford University and is offered around the world. It is now offered in communities all across the Central East LHIN and is also open to caregivers.
Over the six weeks, participants learn how to manage all aspects of life - including emotions and daily activities as well as the medical side. If you have diabetes or are supporting someone who does, you will want to partipate in this program.
To find out how you can register for this FREE Six-Week Workshop, please click here.
Diabetes in the Central East LHIN - updated February 2, 2009
The Central East Diabetes Network has prepared a profile of diabetes in the Central East LHIN. This DRAFT document summarizes information that was contained in an update developed from the Diabetes in Ontario: An ICES Practice Atlas. Toronto: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences; 2003. To view a copy of the profile, please click on the link below.
Our thanks to the project team
This guide is a result of the Central East LHIN Diabetes Clinical Practices Rollout Priority Project which used the launch of the 2008 Diabetes Clinical Practice Guidelines to increase awareness of diabetes in the Central East LHIN. Our thanks to the members of the Central East LHIN Diabetes Project Team who successfully completed the second edition of this valuable resource.
- Dr. David McNeill
- Joan Canavan
- Anne Le Quang
- Heather Munro
- Keri Semenko
- Janice Stringham
- Giselle Sicchia
- Jenny Greensmith, Central East LHIN
- Jeanne Thomas, Central East LHIN