FORT RUCKER, Ala. (July 26, 2012) -- Those suffering from diabetes will find a wealth of valuable information and opportunities for medical care at the second annual Diabetic Exposition Aug. 3 from 8 a.m. to noon at Lyster Army Health Clinic.
"Basically, Lyster has about 500 to 600 diabetic patients enrolled to us, so we really want to showcase what Lyster has to offer to diabetic patients," said Kathy Holer, case manager at the clinic. "We can take care of them from medication to eye exams to nutrition -- showcasing that is what the exposition's all about."
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which a person has high blood sugar because their body either is not producing or not processing enough insulin, according to the American Journal of Medicine. It can have both genetic and environmental causes, and if left untreated can result in loss of weight, blurred vision, and severe gastric and abdominal complications.
"[To have] 600 diabetics in this small of an area, that's a lot," said Debra Crosby, co-chair of the diabetic exposition. "We have diabetics who don't have the education they need about how to control their diabetes -- we were seeing that from this side, so we're trying to get more involved in teaching them what they need to know to control their diabetes."
Holer added that the diabetic exposition will also offer a variety of classes on living healthily with diabetes, with sessions scheduled on everything from dental health to physical therapy, dieting and eye care.
"The classes will be from 9-11 a.m. -- that gives [patients] an hour before and after to interact with providers who will be there," said Holer. "We're encouraging people to stay the whole time and get the widest range of information that they can."
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