hOW STaFF CaN aSSiST DiaBETiC PaTiENTS

Pre-diabetic patients are at high risk to become diabetic because their blood sugar levels are significantly higher than normal, but they fall short of being officially diagnosed due to their sugar levels not being high enough. Encouraging these patients to exercise regularly and be more aware of their diet choices is enough to improve their blood sugar levels and reduce their risk of diabetic complications. For diabetic patients with no eye related changes and diabetic patients with eye related changes the recommendations are quite similar. These patients are usually on multiple medications to control their blood sugar levels. Encouraging them to consistently take their medications, monitor their levels, and do their best to avoid large “spikes” is extremely important. also, these patients are at a much higher risk of developing vision loss and blind ness due to their diabetes. Reminding patients of these possibilities helps reinforce the importance of patient compliance.