Published: January 14, 2009 01:59 pm      

VVRH assists in prevention of diabetes complications

ADA — There are 23.6 million people in the United States, or 8 percent of the population, who have diabetes. Diabetes is a group of diseases marked by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both.

Diabetes can lead to serious complications and premature death, but people with diabetes can take steps to control the disease and lower the risk of complications.

Valley View Regional Hospital’s Diabetes Self-Management Education Program provides diabetic patients with skills and information necessary to effectively manage their disease. Diabetes can affect many parts of the body and can lead to serious complications such as blindness, kidney damage, and lower-limb amputations.

Working together, people with diabetes, their support network, and their health care providers can reduce the occurrence of these and other diabetes complications by controlling the levels of blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipids, and by receiving other preventive care practices in a timely manner.

In addition to the Diabetes Education Program, Valley View Regional Hospital offers a Community Diabetic Support Group. The Chickasaw Nation Health Facility is co-sponsor of this support group, which meets the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the classrooms at Valley View. The support group is designed for those with Type 2 Diabetes and each meeting offers educational information and the opportunity for discussion.

The January topic for the Community Diabetic Support Group is “Hyperbaric Medical Treatment and the Diabetic Patient.” Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a treatment in which the patient breathes 100 percent oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. The therapy quickly delivers high concentrations of oxygen to the bloodstream, assists in the healing process of wounds and is effective in fighting certain types of infections. It also stimulates the growth of new blood vessels and improves circulation. Therapy is administered daily and the number of therapies you receive will depend on your diagnosis.

For more information, phone Valley View’s Certified Diabetes Educator, Stephanie Mowdy, RN at 580-421-1143 or Valley View’s Diabetes Nurse Educator, Connie Christy, RN at 580-421-1511.