Patient Education

There are two main types of diabetes. The following provides a brief explanation of the two types - Type 1 and Type 2

Type 1 diabetes

• Type 1 diabetes is a condition that results in the loss of the production of insulin that is responsible for controlling your glucose level in your blood. Insulin is a hormone that allows the glucose to leave your blood and go into your body’s tissue. Since the glucose can’t go into your tissue it remains high in your blood that results in:
  • Increased thirst, headaches, trouble concentrating, blurred vision, frequent peeing, fatigue, and weight loss.
• Requires individuals to take insulin the rest of their lives
• Type 1 diabetes is treated by replacing the insulin that the body no longer makes by injecting under the skin daily

More information about type 1 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes

• Type 2 diabetes usually occurs later in adult life and is associated with obesity and a lack of exercise. Instead of not having enough insulin the body develops resistance to insulin. The result is insulin can’t enter the tissue resulting in elevated glucose levels in your blood.
• The onset usually occurs over a longer period of time resulting in less severe symptoms until a person has had the disease for an extended period of time.
• Type 2 diabetes treatment is focused on diet and exercise and medication when not controlled. A significant difference between Type 1 and Type 2 is that individuals with Type 1 main treatment is a medication.

Diet

Maintaining a diet low in sugar can help keep your blood glucose levels low. Sugar can be found in a variety of foods such as pasta, grains, rice. Below is a website with information on some of the best foods to eat with diabetes type 2.

More information aboute diet

Exercise

With Diabetes type 2 it is important to maintain workouts. This can help lower blood sugars. This is especially important in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

More information about exercise

Main symptoms and complications of diabetes can include:

1. Numbness in feet
2. Fatigue
3. Frequent urination
4. Hungry often
5. Thirsty all the time
6. Blindness

Devices and apps that can help keep track of glucose?

1. 24 hour glucose monitors- Libre Freestyle
   1. Will monitor your blood glucose levels 24/7 and can use an app to see.
2. MyNetDiary
   1. Free app allows you to track your carbs and see how much sugar you are consuming.
3. Free Exercises that you do not need equipment for
   1. Workout Women App
   2. 30 day fitness App
   3. Cloe Ting is a YouTube channel that offers free workouts with no exercise equipment required. She also offers both high and low impact options.
4. Visit the DIME tab to learn more about our resources here at the SOC.

*If you are have plans to hurt yourself or others please call 911* Below are a variety of resources to learn more about mental health.

What is anxiety?

1. Feeling anxious is an expected part of life. You might feel anxious when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, concerned there is not enough money, or before making an important decision.
2. Anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, school work, and relationships.
3. For more information: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

What is depression?

1. Sadness occurs as a normal aspect of living due to loss and other events.
2. Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is different from sadness in that it begins to interfere with an individual's quality of life. It can interfere with activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks.
3. For more information:
   1. National Institute of Mental Health - Depression
   2. Mayo Clinic

What is bipolar disorder?

1. Changes in mood are a normal occurrence in life.
2. Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. There are three types of bipolar disorder. All three types involve clear changes in mood, energy, and activity levels that result in unwelcome events. These moods range from periods of extremely “up,” elated, irritable, or energized behavior (known as manic episodes) to very “down,” sad, indifferent, or hopeless periods (known as depressive episodes). Less severe manic periods are known as hypomanic episodes.
3. For more information:
   1. National Institute of Mental Health - Bipolar Disorder

What is alcohol use disorder?

1. “Alcohol use disorder” or AUD is a chronic relapsing brain disorder characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences.
2. For more information:
   1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Resources for Anxiety and Depression?

Anxiety and Depression

Northern Hopes helps provide mental health services. The fares are based on an individual's income and ability to pay.

Text “home” to 741741 to automatically connect with a crisis counselor.

Apps to help with anxiety and depression

• Calm
• Headspace
• Other apps:

In some cases exercise can help ease anxiety

Free Exercises that you do not need equipment for:

• Workout Women App
• 30 day fitness App
• Cloe Ting is a YouTube channel that offers free workouts with no exercise equipment required. She also offers both high and low impact options.

Resources for Bipolar disorder

1. Northern Hopes helps provide medical services, such as therapy that is run on a sliding scale based on your income.
2. Text “home” to 741741 to automatically connect with a crisis counselor.

Resources for Alcohol use disorder

1. Northern Hopes helps provide medical services, such as therapy that is run on a sliding scale based on your income.
   1. Treatment programs are also provided at HOPES MAT.
2. Text “home” to 741741 to automatically connect with a crisis counselor.

What is an STI?

An STI is a sexually transmitted disease. These diseases are spread through sexual contact.

What are the different types of STIs?

There are many types of STDS. The most common are syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.

Syphilis

Syphilis is an STI that can cause major health problems if it is not treated. Syphilis is divided into 3 stages based on how long a person has the infection without treatment:

Primary Syphilis (Signs and symptoms)

• 1 or more sores at or around the anus and genitals or around the mouth
• The sores are round, hard and usually painless
• These sores may go away. If they go away, treatment is still necessary

Secondary Syphilis (Signs and symptoms)

• Rash on the skin, vagina, mouth or anus
• Fever
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Feeling tired and muscle aches
• Weight loss

Tertiary Syphilis (Signs and symptoms)

• This stage of syphilis is associated with many serious medical problems which can affect important organs such as the heart and brain and can result in death

• Syphilis is a very treatable disease; however, there is a growing amount of resistance to common available treatments.

Gonorrhea

A very common STI that causes infections in the throat, genitals, and rectum. If untreated, gonorrhea can result in infertility or spread to other parts of the body causing infection.

• Burning feeling when urinating
• Yellow or white discharge from the penis or vagina
• Anal itching and soreness
• Genital bleeding

Chlamydia

A common STI that can cause infertility and can be without symptoms.

• Burning feeling when urinating
• Vaginal or penile discharge
• Painful or swollen testicles
• Rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding

What can I do to prevent STIs

• Abstinence- not having sex
• Vaccination- to prevent HPV specifically
• Reducing the number of sexual partners
• Being in a monogamous relationship- a relationship with only one other person
• Use condoms
• If you are sexually active with multiple partners, get tested regularly even if you have no symptoms

What can I do to treat an STI?

• If you are concerned you may have an STI, contact your medical provider, or attend one of our clinics so you can be tested.
• STIs are treated with a course of antibiotic medication that your doctor will give you depending on your test results.

More information on STIs

What is coronary artery disease?

1. Coronary artery disease occurs when the blood vessels that supply the heart with blood are blocked. The lack of blood supply results in chest pain, decreased energy, shortness of breath, nausea, and swelling in the legs due to the heart not working properly.

More information about coronary artery disease

What is hypertension?

1. High blood pressure is a common disease that develops when blood flows through your arteries at higher-than-normal pressures. Your blood pressure is made up of two numbers: systolic and diastolic. Systolic pressure is the pressure when the ventricles pump blood out of the heart. Diastolic pressure is the pressure between heartbeats, when the heart is filling with blood. For most adults, a healthy blood pressure is usually less than 120 over 80 millimeters of mercury, which is written as your systolic pressure reading over your diastolic pressure reading—120/80 mm Hg.

More information about hypertension

What can I do to help my heart disease and hypertension?

1. Diet
   • Low sodium(for hypertension) and low fat.
   • Best to consult a dietician. A diet highly recommended is the DASH Diet. The link is below.
     1. We recommend finding a dietician. 
     2. Nutrition help from the Mayo Clinic
2. Exercise
   1. Exercise is helpful in lowering blood pressure over time.
   2. Exercise tips from the Mayo Clinic
3. Medication
   1. Your physician may prescribe you a certain medication. It is important to maintain this regime.
4. Track blood pressure
   1. Purchase a blood pressure cuff and measure blood pressure same time every day.
   2. Make sure it has been at least 30 minutes after activity.

What is a headache versus a migraine?

1. Headache is the most common form of pain and a major reason cited for days missed at work or school as well as visits to the doctor.  There are many good treatments and ways to prevent headaches. The International Classification of Headache Disorders, published by the International Headache Society, is used to classify more than 150 types of primary and secondary headache disorders. Primary headaches occur independently and are not caused by another medical condition.  Migraine, cluster, and tension-type headache are the more familiar types of primary headache.
2. Secondary headaches are symptoms of another health disorder that causes pain-sensitive nerve endings to be pressed on or pulled or pushed out of place. They may result from underlying conditions including fever, infection, medication overuse, stress or emotional conflict, high blood pressure, psychiatric disorders, head injury or trauma, stroke, tumors, and nerve disorders.
3. Headaches can range in frequency and severity of pain. Some individuals may experience headaches once or twice a year, while others may experience headaches more than 15 days a month. Pain can range from mild to disabling and may be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea or increased sensitivity to noise or light, depending on the type of headache.

More information from the national Institute of Health

What can I do to help with a migraine and headaches?

The most important first step with headaches is to determine the cause by working with a healthcare professional since there are so many different causes.

1. National Institute of Health Headache information page
2. Migraine buddy is a free app. This advanced migraine diary and tracking app was designed with the help of neurologists and data scientists to help you quickly record and identify all aspects of a migraine attack. Learn about triggers, symptoms, frequency, duration, pain intensity, location, and lifestyle factors specific to your attacks so you can improve your condition.

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck that makes a hormone responsible for controlling your metabolism or how your body uses energy. The hormone affects nearly every organ in the body.

What is hyperthyroidism?

1. Hyperthyroidism, also called overactive thyroid, is when the thyroid gland makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs.
2. If left untreated, hyperthyroidism can cause serious problems with the heart, bones, muscles, menstrual cycle, and fertility. During pregnancy, untreated hyperthyroidism can lead to health problems for the mother and baby. 

More information on Hyperthyroidism

What is hypothyroidism?

1. Hypothyroidism, also called underactive thyroid, is when the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones to meet your body’s needs. Without enough thyroid hormones, many of your body’s functions slow down.

More information on Hypothyroidism

What can I do to help with my hyperthyroidism?

1. Maintain the medicine regime your physician prescribes.
2. Food: Do not eat iodine. This can commonly be found in kelp, dulse and others types of seaweed contain a lot of iodine. Cough syrup and multivitamins also may contain iodine.

More resources for help with hyperthyroidism from the Mayo Clinic

What can I do to help my hypothyroidism?

Maintain the regime your physician prescribes. Most likely this medication will be taken on an empty stomach.

What are allergies?

Allergies occur when your body thinks something unharmful is harmful. The substances that your body overreacts to are called allergens. Allergies usually result in the following symptoms:

Minor symptoms:

• Runny nose
• Watery eyes
• Sneezing
• Hives or other rash

Life threatening symptoms needing immediate medical attention:

• Throat swelling and difficulty breathing, commonly known as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock

What are the different types of allergies

• Prescribed drug allergies
• Food
• Insects
• Pollen
• Pets

What can I do to prevent allergies?

• The best way to prevent allergies is to avoid your allergens
• Discuss allergen- specific prevention options with a medical provider (i.e. an EpiPen to prevent anaphylaxis)

What can I do to treat allergies?

• Avoid your allergens
• Medications specific to your allergen

More information on allergies

What is acute bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis is a “chest cold” caused when your airways become swollen and produce mucus.

What are the signs and symptoms of acute bronchitis?

• Chest soreness
• Tiredness
• Body aches
• Headaches
• Sore throat
• Coughing (may or may not include mucus)

Concerning symptoms?

• Coughing up blood
• Fever of greater than 100.4°F
• Difficulty breathing
• Your symptoms last more than 3 weeks

What can I do to treat acute bronchitis?

• Acute bronchitis mostly gets better without medication
• Sleep
• Staying hydrated
• Using saline nasal spray
• Use a humidifier or breathe in steam
• Cough drops
• Tea with honey

More information on acute bronchitis

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects your airways. It occurs in children and adults.

Signs and symptoms of asthma

1. Wheezing
2. Coughing often worsens at night, after eating or with cold weather
3. Chest tightness
4. Cold-like symptoms lasting longer than 10 days

What can I do to treat asthma?          

1. Asthma is treated with prescription medication from a doctor.

More information on asthma

Sprains occurs when the ligaments (tissue that connects bones to each other) around a joint are stretched or torn

Signs and symptoms of a sprain?

• Pain at the site of injury
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Non-weight bearing

What can I do to treat a sprain?

To treat a joint sprain, use the acronym R.I.C.E

• Rest the affected area
• Ice the injured area for 20 minutes, several times a day
• Compress the injured area with specific bandages, boots or a splint. Specific instructions should be given to you by a medical provider.
• Elevate the affected area so that it is above your heart.
• Take medications such as ibuprofen or Tylenol as instructed for pain management after discussing with your healthcare provider.

Muscle strain is an injury to a muscle or a tendon (tissue that connects muscles to bones)

What are the signs and symptoms of a strain?

1. Pain at the site of injury
2. Swelling
3. Muscle cramps or spasms
4. Difficulty moving

What can I do to treat a strain?

1. To treat a joint sprain, use the acronym R.I.C.E
   1. Rest the affected area
   2. Ice the injured area for 20 minutes several times a day
   3. Compress the injured area with specific bandages, boots or a splint. Specific instructions should be given to you by a medical provider.
   4. Elevate the affected area so that it is above your heart.
2. Take medications such as ibuprofen or Tylenol as instructed for pain management after discussing with your healthcare provider.

More information on sprains and strains

Bone Fracture is a broken bone. There are many different types of fractures. Some fractures are complete fractures while others are partial fractures.

What are the signs and symptoms of a fracture?

• Bruising
• Swelling and tenderness over the affected area
• The affected area can look deformed or out of place.

What can I do to treat a fracture?

• If you suspect a fracture, seek medical attention
• Depending on the severity of a fracture, the following treatments may be implemented:
  1. Immobilized cast
  2. Functional cast
  3. Traction to align bones
  4. Surgical intervention

More information on fractures

Upper respiratory infections (UTRI) is an infection in your upper airway, causing irritation and swelling.

Signs and symptoms of an upper respiratory infection?

• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose and nasal congestion
• Headache
• Fevel
• Tiredness
• Muscle aches
• Sneezing

What can I do to treat an upper respiratory tract infection?

• Cold and Flu medications
• Antihistamines to relieve cough in adults only
• Nasal decongestants

Why can’t the doctor prescribe me antibiotics for my cold?

Most causes of UTRI result from a virus that doesn’t respond to antibiotics. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections.

Skin Cancer is a type of cancer that affects the skin.

There are 3 main types of skin cancer

1. Basal cell carcinoma- cancer of the basal cells in the skin. These cancers usually occur in sun exposed areas (face, neck, ears, shoulders). Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. It usually does not metastasize (move to other parts of the body) but it can be locally invasive.
2. Squamous cell carcinoma- cancer of the squamous cells in the outer layer of the skin (epidermis). These cancers usually occur in sun exposed areas (face, neck, ears, shoulders). Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common cause of skin cancer. It grows rapidly and can metastasize.
3. Melanoma- cancer of the melanocyte cells in the skin (cells that produce pigment). Melanoma can be found in any part of the body, even areas that aren’t exposed to the sun. Melanoma is responsible for about 20% of skin cancers, but 90% of deaths related to skin cancer. Melanoma is very serious and can metastasize, but is treatable if caught early. 

Signs and symptoms of each type of skin cancer

1. Basal cell carcinoma warning signs:
   • A red patch on a sun exposed area that doesn’t go away and gets irritated
   • A shiny bump that is clear, pink, red or white
   • A raised pink skin growth with a crusty indentation
   • An open sore that doesn’t heal, crusts, or bleeds
2. Squamous cell carcinoma warning signs:     
   • Scaly red patch that does not go away. The patch may crust or bleed.
   • An elevated bump that is depressed in the center. It may bleed and grow rapidly.
   • An open sore that can bleed or crust
3. Melanoma warning signs (ABCDEs):
   • Asymmetry- look for moles that do not look regular and are not symmetrical
   • Border- look for moles that have borders that are asymmetrical and uneven
   • Color- look for moles that are multicolored with different shades of brown, black or tan
   • Diameter- look for moles that are larger than a pencil eraser or larger in size than other moles on your body
   • Evolving- look for changes in any of your pre existing moles

What can I do to prevent skin cancer?

1. Check your skin regularly. Look for new lesions that may have popped up or moles that have changed
2. Wear sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher and cover up in the sun
3. If you are concerned about an area, seek medical attention

What can I do to treat skin cancer?

1. Basal cell carcinoma treatment
   • Cryosurgery- freeze the area
   • Excision- remove the lesion surgically
   • Curettage and electrodesiccation- scrape the lesion and cauterize the area
   • Topical medications
2. Squamous cell carcinoma treatment
   • Cryosurgery- freeze the area
   • Excision- remove the lesion surgically
   • Curettage and electrodesiccation- scrape the lesion and cauterize the area
   • Topical medications
3. Melanoma treatment- Treatment of melanoma is dependent on the stage of the disease
   1. For localized treatment (early stage)
      • Excision- surgical removal of the melanoma
   2. For systemic treatment (late stage)
      • Chemotherapy
      • Radiation therapy
      • Immunotherapy

More information on skin cancer

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• Rx Saver
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