Show Me Health - Halt the Epidemic of Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. One in 11 Americans has diabetes. This is hard to think about, but according to the experts, almost 600 million of us may be living with type 2 diabetes by 2035. Already some 387 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014. Worse, a delay in diagnosis means that many people with type 2 diabetes will suffer from at least one complication by the time they are diagnosed with diabetes. 

This past Saturday, November 14^th was World Diabetes Day, an event to draw awareness to the epidemic of diabetes spreading across the world.  World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes:  The “Epidemic of Diabetes.”  WDD is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries.

Diabetes is the result of the body not creating enough insulin to keep blood glucose (sugar) levels in the normal range. Everyone needs some glucose in their blood, but if it's too high it can damage your body over time.

Symptoms may include: 

·         Feeling tired and lacking energy

·         Feeling thirsty

·         Going to the toilet often

·         Getting infections frequently

·         Getting infections which are hard to heal

·         Poor eyesight or blurred vision

·         Often feeling hungry

·          

If you are overweight, have high blood pressure, or are age 45 or older, you are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The good news is that making healthy changes can greatly lower your risk. World Diabetes Day is designed to reflect the realities of people living with diabetes.   This year the focus will be on healthy eating as a key factor in the fight against diabetes and a cornerstone of health.  It is well known that healthy eating can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes and is an important part of the effective management of all types of diabetes to help avoid complications.    In fact, a healthy lifestyle could prevent up to 70% of type 2 diabetes, and healthy eating is a big part of that. 

To help prevent type 2 diabetes:  

Watch your weight.  Lose weight and/or maintain your weight within a healthy range.

Eat healthy. Meal planning around leafy vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains, lean meats, fish, eggs, lower fat and sugar dairy products as well as healthy oils and nuts and reducing your overall sugar intake is an essential part of healthy eating.  Eating the right quantities of different foods is also important for your overall health.  The portions on your smaller plate should be based on dividing your plate into portions of foods:  ¼ of your plate should be one serving of protein, ¼ of your plate should be one serving of carbohydrates (pasta, rice, bread, for example) and vegetables to fill the other ½ of your plate.

Get more physical activity. Stay physically active and get regular exercise. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day. Brisk walking, swimming, cycling, dancing and mowing the lawns all count. Remember you don't have to do all of your daily activity at once.  For example, three brisk walks for 10 minutes in the day may be more manageable than one of 30 minutes. 

As always, remember to always check with your doctor before making any changes in your eating or activity habits.

The Livingston County Health Center provides free diabetes counseling and diabetes screening for a small fee by appointment.  The center is proudly participating in World Diabetes Day to raise awareness about diabetes and healthy living. The year-long diabetes awareness campaign draws attention to issues of importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public and political spotlight.  The aim is to improve access to healthy food, save lives, reduce the global burden of diabetes and save billions in lost productivity and healthcare costs.

To learn more about the diabetes services that the Livingston County Health Center offers, visit our website at www.livcohealthcenter.com, or call 660-646-5506.

Show Me Health - Stroke Prevention

Strokes afflict 700,000 people per year in this country, killing 157,000 of them.  Stroke is also a leading cause of long-term disability.  Stroke does not discriminate, and although some people are at higher risk than others due to lifestyle and family history, anyone can have a stroke. Most of us think “Oh, that will never happen to us!” The thing is, none of us know when a stroke could strike one of our loved ones, young or old.

 

My husband, David, had a stroke at the age of 44. He was always active, working on the farm, hunting, fishing, gardening and always “on the go.” Until one day, out of the blue, as they say, things changed- he had a stroke. He had a blood clot go to the left cerebellum of his brain, affecting his eye sight, stomach, and balance. He is one of the lucky ones, with no long-term side affects from his stroke.

 

A stroke or “brain attack” occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When either of these things happens, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs. When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost. These abilities include speech, movement and memory. How a stroke affects a patient depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged.

 

A small stroke may leave a person with only minor problems, such as weakness of an arm or leg. People who have a larger stoke may be paralyzed on one side or lose their ability to speak. Some people recover completely from a stroke, but more than 2/3 of survivors will have some type of permanent disability.

 

Anyone at any age, race, or sex can have a stroke. In the U.S., stroke is the third leading cause of death, killing 160,000 people each year, and the leading cause of adult disability.

 

Everyone has some stroke risk.  A few stroke risk factors are beyond your control, such as being over age 55, being a male, African-American, having diabetes, or having a family history of stroke. If you have any of these risk factors listed, you should learn more about lifestyle and medical changes you can make to prevent a stroke.

Medical stroke risk factors include: previous stroke, mini strokes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, atrial fibrillation and carotid artery disease. These medical risk factors can be controlled. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about your health.  

 

Know your stroke prevention guidelines:

 

Keep your blood pressure under control; stop smoking if you smoke; know your cholesterol numbers; control your diabetes if you have it; exercise for at least 30 minutes a day to improve your health; enjoy a lower sodium (salt), lower fat diet; limit your alcohol consumption; and have a yearly check up.

 

Time lost is brain lost: A one-minute delay could cost you two million brain cells.  Knowing stroke's symptoms and acting fast can make the difference between life and death, for you or someone you know. Symptoms of a stroke include, sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg-especially on one side of the body, confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, severe headache with no known cause.

 

If you think someone is having a stroke act F.A.S.T, these four letters stand for:

 

FACE – Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

 

ARMS – Ask the person to raise both arms? Does one arm drift downward?

 

SPEECH – Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred? Can he/she repeat the sentence correctly?

 

TIME – If the person shows any of these symptoms, time is important. Call 911 or get to the hospital fast. Brain cells are dying.

 

All services of the Livingston County Health Center are provided on a non-discriminatory basis.

 

Source: http://www.stroke.org/site