Brittney Waite, BSN, RN, family planning manager for the Department of Health Monroe, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about diabetes.
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month.
Waite said, “It’s important to know your blood sugar or your glucose levels, because at first, high blood sugar can have no symptoms, but over time, it can lead to other serious health problems such as heart disease, kidney damage and vision loss. So a simple screen will give you information that you need, that you can take action early to help prevent all of those serious health problems.”
Diabetes is caused by a number of factors.
Waite said, “It can be influenced by genetics. So type one diabetes, which is often diagnosed in childhood and that’s not preventable, is mostly linked to genetics, whereas type two, that’s more common in adults, is more influenced by lifestyle, diet, age and stress and sometimes genetics as well, and that type two diabetes can often be delayed and prevented with healthy habits.”
Diabetes can be managed.
Waite said, “It can be very overwhelming at first getting any sort of diagnosis, especially diabetes, you think like your life is over, but with the right tools and support and lifestyle changes like eating healthy and being active, people with diabetes can live a long, healthy life and active lives, and you’re not alone. There’s other people with diabetes, and there’s so many resources available to help.”
There are free screenings in our community.
Waite said, “Here at Monroe County, the Department of Health is committed to helping our residents stay healthy. We offer free health screenings at many of our outreach events, and some of those screenings include glucose and blood pressure checks, and these quick tests can be the first step towards better health and prevention.”
Are there other tools to manage glucose levels?
Waite said, “We provide the free glucose monitors and blood pressure cuffs, and these tools can help you track your numbers at home, and if you want to learn more about preventing diabetes and managing it if you’ve been diagnosed, you can visit the CDC website. It’s a great resource that has tips, tools and even a free risk test.”
There are upcoming events about diabetes education.
Waite said, “These events will be taking place this week between November, 18 and 20th, and will be at several locations all up and down the Keys, the details can be found at the events calendar that is front and center at the top of the DOH Monroe website and we’re going to be offering the free glucose and blood pressure screenings at all of these events, while supplies last, and there’s going to be diabetes presentations. All of the events are completely free, and you don’t have to pre register. Know your numbers and know what’s going on, like knowing what to look for. So some symptoms that you can look for if you do start having symptoms, excessive thirst, being extremely thirsty, frequent urination, going to the bathroom, a lot, hunger and fatigue. Those are some symptoms that you can look for, in case you don’t know your numbers. So those are just things to look for. If you’re experiencing any of those symptoms, go follow up with your your doctor.”
For more information, click here: https://monroe.floridahealth.gov