Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body breaks down sugar. It causes your body to have too much sugar in the blood. It could also be that you do not have enough insulin, a hormone that helps your body break down the sugar in the food you eat to give you energy.

If you do not have control of your diabetes, it can:

• Cause you to go blind, get kidney disease, and have foot problems
• Make it easier to get infections and/or wounds that will not heal
• Put you at a higher risk of getting heart disease or having a stroke
• Cause you to have nerve damage
• Make you feel tired, thirsty and have to go to the bathroom much more than usual.

The Care Coordination program will help you:

• Understand the medications you are taking
• Know the importance of the foods you eat
• Know why it is so important for you to test your blood sugar as often as your doctor asks you to
• Understand why exercise and weight control are so important

If you are a member with diabetes, call Keystone Mercy's Care Coordination department to sign up for the program. The number is 1-800-573-4100. We want to help you live a healthy life. Call to speak to a Care Manager today.

For more information on diabetes, go to Health Education A-Z: Diabetes. You can find information like:

• Could You Have Diabetes?
• How to Control Your Diabetes
• Treat Diabetes During Pregnancy
• Got Diabetes? Tend to Your Teeth
• Be on Guard for Pre-Diabetes
• Exercise information

You can also find great calculators on Health Education A-Z like:

• Find out your Adult Body Mass
• Find out your Child's Body Mass 
• Find out how many calories you burn during different activities like bowling, watching TV, sleeping, walking

• Rate Your Plate