Val Scott (Turtle Clan) tested the audience’s knowledge on diabetes. Val is a nurse practitioner-certified and certified diabetes educator at the Nation’s Health Center. Diabetes Knowledge
This year's Elders Conference included talks on diabetes, arthritis and eye and ear care. And every year topics are chosen to help elders live their best lives.
Val Scott (Turtle Clan), nurse practitioner-certified and certified diabetes educator at the Nation’s Health Center, invigorated her discussion of diabetes with an interactive Jeopardy!-style game, testing the audience’s knowledge of the disease. Answers were given with the appropriate questions illuminating some of the must-knows about diabetes. For example, what should be your highest blood sugar levels after a large meal? Answer: 160 to 180. What about smoking? Diabetes causes blood vessels to be inflamed; smoking adds to the inflammation, increasing the risk of blood clots. What are some signs of diabetes? Excessive thirst or hunger, headache, a sore that doesn’t heal. What is the typical profile of diabetics? Overweight, sedentary, black, Hispanic or American Indian. “Diet and exercise are the first recommendations when someone is diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes,” said Val. “That’s the cornerstone treatment. If your numbers don’t respond, then we start adding medications.” The answers continued, awaiting the appropriate response from the audience. Once diagnosed, what should diabetics do to maintain their overall health? Check in regularly with their health care-provider. Also see a podiatrist to examine feet and skin conditions and an eye doctor to look at blood vessels in the eyes. “Any part of the body can be affected by diabetes,” said Val. “Kidneys, heart. Depression is also fairly common in diabetics. My advice is to ask questions of your medical practitioner.” Most PopularInformation, photos, video or graphics from www.OneidaIndianNation.com may not be republished, uploaded, posted or distributed in any way without the prior approval of Oneida Indian Nation Communications. Permission is for one time use only. Any use of this material must be credited to: Oneida Indian Nation.
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