Your Health Care Team
You are not alone
Diabetes is a complicated disease. Physically, it can impact virtually every system in your body and controlling it dictates a lot of planning. Emotionally it can take over your life, triggering depression, anxiety, guilt, and overwhelming stress. For these reasons, diabetes requires a team approach to treatment. A network of healthcare professionals, managed by you, and coordinated by your primary care doctor is essential to achieving your targets in tackling diabetes and achieving good health. Below are your health care team - don't miss any appointments.
Diabetes Practice Nurse
This will be your main point of contact in your practice. They will give you advice and guidance to most of your problems but if necessary will recommend you see your doctor for medical treatment. Make them your best friend.
Diabetes Nurse Educator
If you have just been diagnosed your doctor may send you to a diabetes workshop to start your education on how to self manage your diabetes which is run in different areas surrounding Portsmouth.
Registered Dietitian
Your doctor will recommend a registered dieticians and/or nutritionists to work with you to design a healthy eating plan that fits your lifestyle while helping you maintain good blood sugar and weight control.
Optometrist
It is recommended that you have a yearly eye exam for all type 1 and type 2 diabetics (after age 10). A list of well trained optometrists in the Portsmouth area is available who can also screen for diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetes-related vision problems, your doctor will send you to see a specialist trained in eye diseases.
Podiatrists
Proper foot care and regular examination of the feet is extremely important in diabetes care, so a podiatrist, or foot doctor, is an important member of the healthcare team. Podiatrists can detect and treat neuropathy (nerve damage) of the feet and foot ulcers. They can also help educate patients on preventative foot care.
Special Teams
Mental Health Provider
Up to 20% of people with diabetes suffer from depression. Therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists and/or trained councilors may all be instrumental in helping the patient with diabetes deal with the emotional aspects of the disease.
There are other specialists to support you depending on what complications you have e.g. Renal Specialist for kidney problems.
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