A diagnosis for the whole family: living with someone with diabetes
If you’ve had a child diagnosed with diabetes, you’ll know: this is a life-changing illness, and not just for them. Here we look at how the whole family can help someone manage the condition.
What is gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes means you have high blood sugar levels during pregnancy – but is it a precursor of Type 2 diabetes? And will it affect your baby?
Is your lifestyle making you sick? Determine your diabetes risk {Infographic}
Many everyday lifestyle decisions can lead to Type 2 diabetes. Here’s how these often unnoticed lifestyle risk factors add up to skyrocket your diabetes risk.
Don’t ignore these unusual signs of potentially serious conditions
Fatty deposits around your eyes? Skin discolouration? Pale nails? Here are a few symptoms you should get checked out – even if they seem insignificant.
DID YOU KNOW?
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We install alcohol rub dispensers at our facilities to prevent the spread of pathogens.
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Our hospitals did the first minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve implant procedure in Africa.
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Our radio-translucent theatre beds enable X-rays to be taken on the spot, without having to move the patient or disturb the procedure.
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Mediclinic Cape Town is accredited as a mother and baby friendly institution, having scored 100% at a recent external review.
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To make the most of every second, we strive to synchronise all our clocks in the hospital.
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We place oxygen-releasing, toxin-absorbing plants, like Sanseviera Trifasciata, around our hospitals.
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Mediclinic is one of the three leading private hospital groups in Southern Africa and the sixth largest private healthcare group in the world.
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To prevent harmful bacteria being absorbed by mattresses we use protective under sheets made from polypropylene.
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A baby has a 70% better chance of surviving a motor vehicle accident if in a secure car seat and properly restrained.
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Our expert breastfeeding advice is based on the principles of the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation.
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Good dog: Meet Honey – the diabetes dog trained to save her master’s life
Duncan and Honey could be any other boy and his dog, playing on the beach. But she also accompanies him to school, sleepovers, even the movies.
What is syndrome x?
Metabolic syndrome, also ominously referred to as Syndrome X, is an umbrella of risk factors that can lead to heart disease, stroke and diabetes. We take a closer look at
DID YOU KNOW?
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You get 20% of the water your body needs from eating fruit and vegetables.
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Our hospitals have been awarded international accreditation for best practice in the management of environmental systems and practices.
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We use the internationally recognised Oxford Vermont Network to keep our neonatal critical care units at the forefront of paediatric medicine.
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A baby weighing 390g survived thanks to the expertise of Mediclinic’s highly qualified paediatric staff and specialists.
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Most nursing units have windows overlooking gardens to promote healing.
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Mediclinic Cape Town is accredited as a mother and baby friendly institution, having scored 100% at a recent external review.
#MediclinicFacts -
Our expert breastfeeding advice is based on the principles of the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation.
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Mediclinic has the highest number of internationally accredited facilities in Southern Africa.
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Mediclinic trains more than a thousand nurses annually at training centres throughout Southern Africa.
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We monitor the temperature of our neonatal units as newborn babies are extremely sensitive to temperature change.
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Are there female-specific risk factors for diabetes?
Diabetes is now the leading cause of female deaths in South Africa, according to figures from Statistics South Africa. With coronary heart disease established as the leading cause of death in people with diabetes, an endocrinologist at Mediclinic Worcester looks at the risk factors for diabetes that are exclusive to women.
Can your lifestyle lead to diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes can be treated when diagnosed early. If left untreated, warns Mediclinic Vergelegen endocrinologist Dr Elmo Pretorius, it can lead to kidney damage, heart disease and even stroke.
A snapshot of diabetes in SA
There are 1,826,100 people living with diabetes in South Africa, according to the latest International Diabetes Federation research. The cases of diabetes in the country are rapidly rising.
Prediabetes: Should you be screened for it? [infographic]
While prediabetes is not a health condition in itself, says Mediclinic Vergelegen endocrinologist Dr Elmo Pretorius, it can be a sign that you are on the way to developing type 2 diabetes.
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