In Focus - Diabetes Management
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood because the body is not producing insulin or not using insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone needed for glucose to enter the cells and be converted to energy.
Diabetes is becoming more common in Australia and other developed countries. According to the Diabetes Australia website, more than 3 million Australians have or are at risk of diabetes.
There are two main kinds of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes (10-15% of diabetes cases) is normally diagnosed in children and is usually present from the time people are born. Type 2 diabetes (85-90% of diabetes cases) usually starts its onset later in life, as an adult, and is sometimes known as Maturity Onset Diabetes.
It is type 2 diabetes that is becoming very common in Australia, and this type of diabetes is influenced by aspects of a Western lifestyle, including adverse amounts of weight (obesity), exercise levels, diet, smoking, alcohol consumption and other factors. Some people also contract this disease in the absence of the above behaviours.
This article focuses on treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes can result in a wide range of health problems in its sufferers. Therefore, it is important that people with type 2 diabetes have appropriate care from a range of health practitioners, to try to avoid severe health issues such as renal (kidney) failure, cardiovascular disease, gangrene (leading to loss of limbs), blindness and others.
This article discusses the team of health professionals who monitor and treat patients with type 2 diabetes, and also explains how the Royal Flying Doctor Service provides these practitioners to remote parts of Australia.