There is a lot of diabetes disease information available to you. Upon diagnosis your doctor will tell you about your disease and the causes as well as give you a treatment plan and any necessary medication. You should be sure to voice any concerns or questions that you have about your medication as well as inform your doctor of any medications you are currently on. You can also request diabetes disease information from your pharmacist.
Diabetes Disease Information – Diabetes Educator
Many people will work with a diabetes educator. This person may be a doctor, though this is not required, and often may be a registered nurse (RN), doctor of philosophy (PhD), adult nurse practitioner (ANP), or a certified diabetes educator (CDE). The goal of diabetes educators is to teach self-management to individuals suffering from diabetes. Part of this includes intensive lifestyle counseling and the formation of management strategies so that patients are not debilitated by their disease. A large portion of this may include analyzing current habits and finding ways to change them into healthier habits. The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) defines effective self-management as the inclusion of eating healthy, being active, monitoring, taking medicine, reducing risks, problem solving in the case of highs and lows, and healthy coping by understanding both the physical and emotional sides to diabetes (http://www.diabeteseducator.org/DiabetesEducation/Patient_Resources/). One of the keys to diabetes education is taking a holistic approach to the disease and life, identifying the daily steps to improve your life. While your doctor or hospital may be able to refer you to an educator you can also look online on the AADE website (http://www.diabeteseducator.org/DiabetesEducation/Find.html).
Diabetes Disease Information – Literature
There are many publications and trade journals with diabetes disease information. Some are written for patients of diabetes while others are for medical practitioners and researchers. Both can be helpful in better understanding your disease as well as keeping you up-to-date on the latest news and medical research. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has several journals. Diabetes Forecast provides diabetes disease information for patients including consumer guides, recipes, and a question and answer section. Diabetes, Diabetes Care, and Clinical Diabetes are all professional journals. In these publications you can find technical information on drug trials, treatment, case studies, and more. Patients with diabetes may find these journals interesting particularly if they are looking for cutting edge information. In addition to journals there are books available on diabetes management and coping with the disease. Subjects vary from meal planning and recipes to overall information. The public library can be a good tool for diabetes disease information, the literature available, and the resources you need.
