Channel: Lee Health

Category: Education

Tags: manage conditionsmanage diabetesheart attackeducation specialistfood choiceskidney failurediabetes carephysical routinenerve damagecertified diabetes care and education specialistblindnessblood workpatientsmeal planningmonitordiabetes complicationsstrokephysical activitya1cconditiontype 2 diabetesstress managementdiabetes educationdiabetesblood sugars

Description: From food choices to physical activity to stress management—health experts say it can all play a role with type two diabetes. "Sometimes there's a lot to managing these things and having a little bit of help can really make a difference," said Annette McClenahan, a certified diabetes care and education specialist at Lee Health. Lee Health Annette McClenahan works with patients to help them manage the condition. "Having diabetes education can also be very helpful and working with a diabetes care and education specialist is going to help give them the tools they need to manage the disease successfully." Tools like meal planning, stress management, and developing a physical routine. "There are always barriers and things that can get in the way. Sometimes we can lose our motivation, and that's why it's really important to get some kind of support," she said. She recommends patients with type two diabetes have their A1C blood work checked every three to six months to help monitor the condition. "The reason we want to manage this is because if we do not get those blood sugars into the target ranges, complications can occur," McClenahan said. Complications like blindness, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and nerve damage. "Just because you have diabetes does not mean you're going to have those complications. What you want to do is manage the blood sugars so that you manage the complications," she said. Giving patients the direction and help they need to manage type two diabetes. View More Health Matters video segments at LeeHealth.org/Healthmatters Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health - Caring People. Inspiring Care. Visit LeeHealth.org