Diabetes Education Series

"Improving Diabetes Care Through Education"

Education is one of the most important issues facing the diabetes healthcare community. Lack of patient and professional education is considered a major risk factor for individuals with any form of Diabetes.

The goal of the Education Series is to help improve the quality of care and life for individuals with any form

of Diabetes, while helping prevent complications typically associated with sub-optimal control and education.

We hope that you find the information in this series to be useful in assisting you in improving your diabetes care.

Hand holding a glowing light bulb with a brain inside, symbolizing ideas and intelligence.

• Elevated A1c level of more than 5.6% or lower than 4.3%

• Obesity: Overweight (overweight is typically associated with Type 2 DM).

Approximately 89% of newly diagnosed people with Typ2 2 are at least 20% overweight

• Weight loss (regardless of food intake (may be associated with Type 1 DM).

• Familiar history of diabetes (heredity)

• Low blood pressure while standing (orthostatic hypertension)

• Extreme Thirst (polydipsia)

• Insomnia

• Large babies

• Impotence

• Snoring

• High blood pressure (cardiovascular disease)

• Sores and/or wounds that heal slowly

• Frequent skin, gum, vaginal or urinary infections

• Numbness or pain in legs, hands, feet

• Muscle cramping (claudication)

• Recent immunizations (especially in young children)

• Severe Itching (pruritus)

• Bladder disturbance

• Vulvovaginitis

• Nocturnal diarrhea

• Drowsiness

• Nausea

• Irritability (mood change)

• Insatiable Hunger (caused by the body’s cannibalization of its own protein stores) called polyphagia.

• Blurred vision (changes in acuity)

• Headaches

• Dizziness

• Certain ethnic groups: Hispanic, African, Mexican Americans and/or Native American Indian descent

• Age: Over 35 years of age (approximately 80 % of newly diagnosed Type 2 cases are over 35)

School age (elementary and middle school)

Type 1 can occur at any age

• Poor diet

• Little to no exercise

• High blood pressure

• Hyper lipoproteinemia (increased concentration of cholesterol/triglycerides and LDL)

• Weakness/fatigue/tiredness

• Frequent urination (polyuria)

• Vaginal Dryness

• Sweating