DMS has always had a goal to help its patients manage their diabetes. In addition to insulin pump and blood glucose testing products, the new and improved web site—www.diabetesms.com—provides basic but important information on diabetes. Here is a sample of what is available to you:
The bad news: people who have diabetes are 2 – 3 times more likely to have tooth and gum problems than those who do not.
The good news: people who have diabetes are not being picked on. Everyone – whether they have diabetes or not, should practice good dental care.
The facts:
The same experts who recommend that adults exercise 150 minutes a week are the ones behind the NFL’s “Play 60†campaign. That is, our kids should be physically active for 60 minutes a day.
Overweight children almost always become overweight adults, and the Institute of Medicine states 1 of 5 children under the age of 5 are already overweight or obese. The percentage of overweight goes up as they progress through childhood and adolescence. What bothers me is that, besides the health risks that accompany excess weight, isn’t being a kid hard enough already?
Getting a flu shot every fall is a good idea for just about everyone, but here is why it is extremely important for our patients with diabetes:
People with diabetes—or any chronic disease—do not fight infection as well as other people, making them more like to get the flu. This is because diabetes suppresses the immune system.
People with diabetes are 3 times more likely to be hospitalized and 3 times more likely to die from the flu.
“Nobody told me this would happen.†Those are the saddest words I ever hear patients say, because of what it means: long term, minimal attention to their diabetes, with a dreaded consequence facing them—amputation of a foot or leg, kidney failure requiring dialysis, diminished vision or debilitating heart problems.
