Diabetes health checks
The importance of annual or yearly reviews
Regular diabetes health checks are important to pick up any health problems related to living with any type of diabetes. These are sometimes called an annual or yearly review and include such things as HbA1c, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, kidney function, foot health, eye health and emotional health.
Finding time is imperative
Picking up any changes or problems early means that treatment can be started sooner to help prevent or lower your risk for more serious problems such as heart attack and stroke, kidney disease, sight loss or amputations.
These are very important checks, but there are also other health checks that are just as vital such as mammogram, prostate and skin cancer checks.
Finding time to do all these things can sometimes be difficult and the cost may be of concern too. Here are some helpful tips:
- More information can be found here about Annual Cycle of Care
- Medicare can help with covering the costs of most routine diabetes health checks; talk to your GP or diabetes educator about how to combine appointments and health tests.
- When it’s time for a mammogram, if you wear a CGM sensor and/or insulin pump you can keep wearing these devices during the test, however
- While a mammogram is not an x-ray it is a good idea to double check with your particular device company
- Tell the technician you are wearing a CGM and/or pump to make sure the mammogram process doesn’t dislodge the sensor
- If you use CGM or insulin pump devices that are stuck to your skin, make sure the doctor who does a skin cancer check does this carefully without dislodging the device
- Having a routine prostate check might be uncomfortable, but any diabetes devices you are wearing shouldn’t cause a problem with the examination process
Having so many important health checks to do may sound overwhelming, but remember they are all an essential part of maintaining your overall health and wellbeing.
“Fore warned is fore armed” as they say – find out early if there’s a health problem and get help to treat it quickly so you can maximise your chances for effective treatment.
Call the NDSS Helpline on 1800 637 700 to talk with one of our diabetes nurse educators and advocacy service team or call the cancer helpline on 131120 .
Karen Crawford
RN CDE Advocacy Officer
