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Diabetes

Taking Control of your Diabetes:
The Diabetes Disease Management/Wellness Program

The diabetes disease management/wellness program is free to members and an important step in the effort to minimize potential complications from diabetes and help improve quality of life.

Possible long-term benefits of the program:

  • Feel better and more productive
  • Reduce time missed at work and leisure activities
  • Decreased medical expenses by reducing diabetes-related complications, which often result in expensive hospitalization

The diabetes disease management/wellness program can include:

  • Free glucose meter for monitoring blood sugar levels
  • Contact with a nurse case manager
  • Reminders to schedule important diabetes screenings
  • Educational booklets and other materials
 

E-mail us for more information on the diabetes disease management/wellness program or call toll-free 1-866-670-6681.

FEP members e-mail here or call toll-free at 1-800-388-4673.

Find valuable information on diabetes at these related Web sites:

Health education: Daily meal planning for diabetics

Health education: Foot care for diabetics

Are you at risk for diabetes? Take our online quiz to find out more.

Potential complications

Blindness - diabetes can damage the small blood vessels in the retina (called diabetic retinopathy). When blood vessels are weak, they can leak fluid and cause swelling. The swelling blurs your vision. When the retinopathy gets worse, the eye makes new blood vessels over the retina. But these blood vessels are fragile and break open easily, which causes bleeding in the eye. Scar tissue can form. This may make the retina break away from the back of the eye and lead to blindness.

Warning signs of eye problems - call your doctor if you have:

  • Blurred vision for more than two days
  • Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
  • Black spot, cobwebs or flashing lights in your vision
  • Redness in your eye
  • Pain or pressure in your eye

Kidney disease - diabetes can also damage the blood vessels in the kidney (called diabetic nephropathy) so it can't filter out the body's waste. Some people need dialysis or kidney transplants. Protein in the urine is usually the first sign of nephropathy. There are medications that can help protect the kidney from damage if you have high protein in your urine.

Heart disease - People with diabetes are 80 percent more likely to suffer from heart disease.

There are several things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease:

  • Keep your blood sugar level under control.
  • Lose weight and keep it off.
  • Lower your cholesterol level.
  • Increase your physical activity.
  • Control your blood pressure.
  • If you smoke, stop.

Nerve damage - (also called diabetic neuropathy) most often affects the feet and legs, but can also affect the brain and other parts of the body. Nerve damage can make it hard for your nerves to send messages to the brain and other parts of the body. It can mean losing feeling in your feet or a painful tingling feeling. If you have nerve damage, you may not be able to feel a blister or sore on your foot. The sore can become infected and, in serious cases, the foot may have to be amputated (removed).

Warning signs of nerve damage - call your doctor if you have:

  • Loss of feeling
  • Sharp pain or tingling feeling
  • Weakness
  • Burning feeling

Recommended screenings for diabetics

For adults (age 18 or older) with diabetes, the following screenings are recommended:

  • Foot exam by your physician - four times a year
  • Glycohemoglobin (Hemoglobin A1C) blood test - four times a year
  • Blood pressure check - two times a year
  • Cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) blood tests - once a year
  • Dilated eye exam by ophthalmologist or optometrist - once a year
  • Urine test for albumin (protein)

The information provided on Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma's disease management/wellness pages is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or health care services.  Consult with your physician before undertaking any new treatment program, or if you have questions regarding care for a medical condition.