Prediabetes Risk Assessment
Over 37 million Americans have diabetes and 1 out of 5 does not know that they have it. The risk assessment serves several purposes. If you don't have diabetes, the assessment will help you understand your risk for getting diabetes in the future. If you aren't sure whether or not you have diabetes now, it will help you better understand the likelihood, including symptoms and how you can be screened for diabetes.
Diabetes
Diabetes Management and Support
We know it’s hard to hear the words, “You have diabetes.” And you probably have a lot of worries — and questions — about how your life may change. That’s why the diabetes educators, nurses and endocrinologists at Owensboro Health are here with answers to your questions and all the support you need to get back to living your best life.
Diabetes Types
There are two types of diabetes:
- Type 1 diabetes often first appears in children and young adults when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin. This causes blood sugar to build up in the bloodstream and damage the body.
- Type 2 diabetes is more common than Type 1. If you have Type 2 diabetes, your pancreas makes insulin, but your cells don’t respond normally to it. So, your pancreas makes even more insulin to trigger a response, and eventually, causes blood sugar to build up in your bloodstream causing damage to your body.
Diabetes Treatment
When you receive a diabetes diagnosis, your provider will work with you to understand your unique needs and determine the best treatment plan. Depending on your individual situation, that plan could include:
- Blood sugar monitoring as often as four times a day
- Instructions on an eating plan
- Insulin therapy via injection or insulin pump
- Oral medications
Support Services
InBalance Diabetes Education Program
Here, you’ll have access to caring and compassionate diabetes care and education specialists (CDCES), and a program that meets the diabetes national standards of care according to the American Diabetes Association.
As a program participant, you can meet for individual and group sessions, where you will learn how to:
- Cope with the physical and emotional aspects of diabetes
- Eat the right foods to keep your blood sugar stable
- Increase your physical activity to meet your specific lifestyle needs
- Manage and reduce other health risks associated with diabetes
- Monitor your blood sugar regularly
- Plan healthy meals
- Set and achieve your health goals
Ask your healthcare provider for a referral to our program. Most insurance plans cover diabetes education.
To learn more about the InBalance Diabetes Education Program, please call 270-688-4804.
Diabetes Support Group
Whether you’re newly diagnosed, or you’ve been coping with it for many years, learning to live with and manage diabetes can be overwhelming. And sometimes, it helps to talk with people who are experiencing the same struggles you are. Owensboro Health Healthpark offers a free monthly support group to help you learn more about managing your diabetes and meet others with the same condition. The group meets on the third Tuesday of each month at noon. For more information, call 270-688-4804.
View upcoming dates and find out more information about the group.
Inpatient Diabetes Counseling
If you’re admitted to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital for symptoms related to diabetes, you’ll be cared for by a member of our certified diabetes care and education specialist team who will:
- Explain when to call your doctor
- Help you set up any needed follow-up appointments
- Show you how to safely use insulin and other medications
- Teach you how to monitor your blood sugar level
Gestational Diabetes Care
When you’re pregnant, it’s important to see a doctor right away so they can start your prenatal care and test you for a number of conditions, including gestational diabetes, which is usually diagnosed for the first time, during pregnancy.
Like the other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes, causes high blood sugar that can affect both your and your baby’s health. And because it doesn’t usually cause symptoms, it can be hard to identify. That’s why you need to see a doctor to determine if you’re at risk.
You can control gestational diabetes by eating healthy foods, exercising and, if necessary, taking medication.
Fortunately, gestational diabetes usually goes away after you give birth. However, it does put you at a higher risk for Type 2 diabetes later on, so you and your doctor will need to keep a close eye on your blood sugar levels.
Our Inbalance Diabetes Education Program offers a gestational diabetes class that can help you achieve a healthy pregnancy. Your doctor can give you a referral for this two-hour class, which covers:
- Blood glucose monitoring
- Insulin use
- Medical nutrition therapy
- Ways to prevent Type 2 diabetes
