diabetes educator - registered nurse

Diabetes is a condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.

Most of the food you eat gets broken down into a type of sugar called glucose. This glucose travels in your blood and gives your body energy. To help the glucose move from your blood into your body’s cells (where it’s used as fuel), your body needs a hormone called insulin.

Insulin is like a key — it opens the “door” to your cells so the sugar can go in.

When you have diabetes, either:

1. Your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or
    
2. It doesn’t use insulin properly.
    

As a result, too much sugar stays in your blood. Over time, this can cause serious health problems, especially for your heart, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

Diabetes can sometimes sneak up on you because the symptoms can be mild or easy to miss. But there are some common signs you can look out for.

Here’s what many people with diabetes notice:

1. Feeling very thirsty – Even if you drink a lot, you might still feel like you can't quench your thirst.
    
2. Urinating a lot – You may need to go to the bathroom more often, especially at night.
    
3. Feeling very tired – Even if you're getting enough sleep, your body might feel low on energy.
    
4. Blurred vision – Your eyesight may become a bit fuzzy or hard to focus.
    
5. Slow-healing wounds – Cuts or sores may take longer than usual to heal.
    
6. Feeling very hungry, even after eating – Your body isn't using sugar properly, so you feel like you need more food for energy.
    
7. Unexplained weight loss – This can happen especially with Type 1 diabetes, even if you're eating well.
    
8. Tingling or numbness in hands or feet – This can be a sign that high sugar levels are affecting your nerves.
    

Some people — especially with Type 2 diabetes — might have no symptoms at all at first. That’s why it’s important to get checked if you’re at risk.

There are a few different types of diabetes, and each one works a little differently. But in all of them, the main problem is the same: too much sugar in the blood because the body can’t use insulin properly or make enough of it.

Here are the main types:

• This type usually starts in children or young adults, but it can happen at any age.
   
• The body’s immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that make insulin — so the body makes little or no insulin at all.
   
• People with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.
   

• This is the most common type, usually in adults, but more young people are getting it too.
   
• The body still makes insulin, but it doesn’t use it properly — this is called “insulin resistance.”
   
• Type 2 is often linked to lifestyle factors like being overweight, not being active, or having a family history of diabetes.
   
• It can often be managed with healthy eating, exercise, tablets, and sometimes insulin.
   

• This type happens in pregnant women who didn’t have diabetes before.
   
• During pregnancy, the body can become less sensitive to insulin, leading to high blood sugar.
   
• It usually goes away after the baby is born, but it needs careful care during pregnancy.
   
• It can increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Yes, our services are covered by medical aid, and we’ll gladly assist with any claims or questions you may have.

During your appointment, you’ll receive easy-to-understand diabetes education, including helpful booklets that you can take home and refer to anytime. We’ll also show you how to test your blood sugar on your own, step-by-step, so you feel confident doing it at home.

You’ll get guidance on how to use a glucometer, and as part of your visit, you’ll also receive a free glucometer to get you started.

All our services are offered in both English and Afrikaans, so you can choose the language you’re most comfortable with. Our goal is to make sure you leave feeling supported, informed, and ready to manage your diabetes with confidence.

R600 per hour.