As November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and for those with diabetes, did you know your medical, dental and behavioral health needs are all connected?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 34 million people in the United States live with diabetes -- and one in five of them doesn’t know he or she has it.
“The average rate in San Antonio and Bexar County is at about 14 percent, and that’s higher than the Texas average, which is about 10 percent,” said Leticia Ortiz-Johnson, director of medical operations and service for Methodist Healthcare Ministries.
Diabetes is also the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States (and may be underreported).
To help individuals with diabetes, Methodist Healthcare Ministries offers a holistic integrated health care approach to heal patients’ entire body.
“It’s essential that we really do take a holistic perspective,” said Leslie Allision, a behavioral health clinical manager, Methodist Healthcare Ministries. “We are whole people, and diabetes is a disease that impacts our total health.”
If you have any of the following diabetes symptoms, the CDC recommends you see your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested:
- Urinate a lot, often at night
- Are very thirsty
- Lose weight without trying
- Are very hungry
- Have blurry vision
- Have numb or tingling hands or feet
- Feel very tired
- Have very dry skin
- Have sores that heal slowly
- Have more infections than usual
Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. is a private, faith-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to creating access to health care for uninsured and low-income families through direct services, community partnerships and strategic grant-making in 74 counties across South Texas.
To learn more about Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ holistic approach to diabetes, watch the video above or click or tap here.