health sectionhealth sectionDiabetes affects many people around the world, making diabetes education so important. With the proper resources, you can learn how to help prevent diabetes, live with the disease and understand it better in others. Gaining valuable insight into the disease begins with educational activities like quizzes, podcasts and slideshows that teach about diabetes and related subjects.
According to the 2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, nearly 24 million people in the United States have diabetes, a condition that causes high glucose levels in the blood as a result of the body's inability to produce adequate amounts of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that converts sugars and starches into energy for the body's daily use. Diabetes may cause eye, foot, heart and skin complications. To effectively teach others about diabetes, provide information on what diabetes is and how to manage it.
Diabetes affects 23.6 million children and adults in the United States as of 2007, with 57 million cases of pre-diabetes and 1.6 million new cases diagnosed each year. It is a lifelong disease caused by the body's inability to control blood sugar through insulin production. Complications from the disease include diabetic hyperglycemic hyperosmolar coma, a life-threatening condition, as well as long-term complications such as coronary artery disease, diabetic nephropathy, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Constant monitoring and well-educated maintenance can successfully mitigate the chances of developing damaging complications from diabetes.
A certified diabetes educator, or CDE, is someone who is trained to teach diabetes management techniques to people with the disease. They are certified by the National Certification Board of Diabetes Educators, which requires that the educator be a licensed health professional with two years of diabetes education experience. The educator must also pass a national exam. Finding a certified diabetes educator in your area is quite simple.
According to the American Diabetes Association 23.6 million children and adults had been diagnosed with diabetes in the United States as of October 2010, and there are 1.6 million new diagnoses each year. One of the most effective treatments against diabetes is education and early diagnosis. Several leading diabetes research organizations offer grant-based programs to educate people about diabetes nationwide.
Diabetes is a disease that is different for each person who suffers from it. People respond differently to medications and treatments because the body's response is influenced by other factors that affect performance, including smoking, drinking, thyroid disease, diet, lack of exercise and kidney problems. Using diabetic educational tools helps diabetics track and monitor what works for them and what doesn't.
More than 23 million people in the United States have diabetes and the condition is becoming more prevalent each day. There is no cure for diabetes, so management of the disease becomes increasingly important. Certified diabetes educators undergo rigorous training and pass an exam that qualifies them to train diabetics, and pre-diabetics to successfully manage their condition and to modify their lifestyles., Many certified diabetes educators operate through hospitals, though some have private practices. In addition, the main certifying body has a provider directory on its website.
Diabetes educators support clients in learning to self-manage their diabetes. Diabetes educators may be registered nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, physicians, mental health professionals, podiatrists, optometrists or exercise physiologists. Diabetes educators conduct comprehensive assessments of clients, assist the client in setting goals to change habits and improve health, and provide on-going education to support the client in developing a healthy lifestyle through individual and group training. Diabetes educators focus on seven core self-care behaviors: healthy eating, being active, monitoring, taking medication, problem solving, healthy coping and reducing risks.
