Midland Memorial has great resources for people living with diabetes, including the Lifestyle Medicine Center, which provides knowledge about diabetes management.
MIDLAND, Texas — Tuesday, March 28th marks the nationaldiabetes alert day“It is time to educate the public about the severity of diabetes and the importance of understanding your risk.
11.1% of Texans have been diagnosed with diabetes, which is higher than the national average of 9.7%. With this information in mind, staff at Midland Memorial Hospital shared details about what it’s like for someone living with diabetes.
“Diabetes can really, really be considered a lifestyle disease,” says certified education and care specialist Hilary Chase.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body is unable to regulate blood sugar levels. It can be prevented or delayed, but only if you take the right steps. Lifestyle habits have a significant impact on the degree to which a person is likely to develop the disease.
“Lack of inactivity can be defined as someone who is inactive at least three times a week. A poor diet: high-fat, high-calorie, high-carbohydrate meals,” Chase says. And overweight and obesity greatly contribute to the progression of diabetes. ”
The amount of food you eat and the amount of training you do make a difference, but they are not the only factors that affect your health.
“Texas continues to have a large number of uninsured Americans, which will lead to decreased access to primary and preventive health care,” Chase said.
When it comes to treatment options, Texas also struggles with the high cost of insulin, a necessary treatment for diabetics.
“They either don’t follow their doctor’s recommendation to prescribe insulin because of cost, they don’t take the drug at all, or they don’t tell their health care provider that they can’t afford the drug, so they… It will remain untreated,” Chase said.
At Midland Health, we encourage patients to seek help rather than denying them the care they really need.
“Follow up regularly with your health care provider. Not missing or missing medical appointments is critical to noticing any changes in your health or diabetes management,” says Chase. said.
Another great resource is the Center for Lifestyle Medicine at Midland Memorial Hospital, which provides a wealth of knowledge on disease prevention and management. Utilizing tools like this is critical to helping patients improve their health and better manage their diabetes diagnosis.
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