Diabetes is an ongoing disease that affects over 11% of people in the United States. Lawton Community Health Center is proud to help Southwest Oklahomans with our diabetes management clinic. We teach adult and teen patients and their families how to manage diabetes. Managing includes knowing what tools to use and how to use them for your treatment.
Diabetes and Nutrition Management
What is Diabetes?
There are three main types of diabetes, type 1, type 2, and Gestational Diabetes. The disease is caused by the body’s inability to produce insulin or regulate insulin. Insulin is released by your pancreas and plays a key role in turning blood sugar into energy for your body. When the insulin in your body isn’t functioning as it should, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream which could lead to life-threatening health conditions.
What Causes Diabetes?
There are several causes of diabetes depending on the type of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is believed to be an autoimmune reaction. This reaction keeps your body from making insulin. Type 2 diabetes has risk factors that include:
Gestational Diabetes is diabetes that happens in pregnant women. For some, gestational diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born, but it may increase your risk for type 2 diabetes. You may be at risk for Gestational Diabetes if you have previously had Gestational Diabetes, have given birth to a baby over 9 pounds, are overweight, or if you have a family history of Type 2 Diabetes.
What are Signs of Diabetes?
Part of Diabetes management involves knowing what the signs are and what your body is telling you. Because Diabetes affects your blood sugar, your body goes through physical changes that indicate irregularities in your blood sugar. The symptoms of diabetes include:
If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms, it may be time to speak with your doctor about getting a blood sugar test.
The diabetes clinic at LCHC is here to guide you after your diagnosis and to teach you self-management skills in order to keep the symptoms of diabetes under control.
Nutrition Management
The food we eat is a major part of how our bodies work. The diabetes and nutrition clinic at LCHC helps you on a path that leads to a healthier diet. Nutrition and diabetes go hand-in-hand due to the fact that when someone first gets diagnosed with diabetes, nutrition is part of the management plan to ensure blood sugar is staying at a healthy level.
How Can LCHC Help?
The diabetes clinic Lawton Community Health Center cares about our patients and their families. Our goal is to teach you to be in charge of your diabetes. We will teach you:
-Glucose monitoring
-Medication management
-Behavior changes
-Diet changes
-Health-risk reduction
-Support and coping skills
Meet Our Providers
Oscar Castro
MD
Pamela Brown
RD, LD, CDCES
Jan Miller
RD, LD, CDE
Michelle White
RN, BSN, CDE
Meet Our Providers
Oscar Castro
MD
Pamela Brown
RD, LD, CDCES
Jan Miller
RD, LD, CDE
Michelle White
RN, BSN, CDE
In order to participate in the services of our diabetes clinic, you must have a referral from your primary care physician.
Please email for physician referral form to:
Jan Miller, RD/LD, CDE
jan.miller@ccmhhealth.com
Michelle White, BSN, RN, CDE
michelle.white@ccmhhealth.com
Find out more about how the diabetes clinic at LCHC can play a role in your health management by calling
(580) 585-5554
On-call Pager: (580) 531-9481
Our Clinic is located at
5404 SW Lee Blvd
Lawton, OK 73505