Diabetes Tips_0
How to Manage Your Diabetes- Tip# 1Diabetes statistics in twenty-five years will be nearly twice as much as we have now. And the cost will almost triple. This is according to the study conducted by the University of Chicago and it was published in Diabetes Care. Since diabetes affects every part of the body from the circulation, nerves, vision, heart, kidneys and brain, I am taking it upon myself, to write about diabetes management in the tip section of our website.
It's crucial to keep this condition under control so we will have these tips in weekly sections for four weeks. But those who signed before and during this past week are getting them all at once. Discuss with your doctor which interventions and tests you may need which will be the topic of the next tip on How to Manage Your Diabetes.
Tip# 2 Get blood tests. Here are the blood tests you may need:
- A1C - The result of this blood test will show how well the blood glucose levels are under control. This number is also known as your "diabetes number" and should be taken every three to six months. The score, ideally, should be less than 7.
- Creatinine - This chemical is found in the urine or in the blood. It is important to have this checked once a year as it will measure the kidney function. Diabetes is known to wreck havoc on the kidneys and we want to know when this has started to happen before more damage is done.
- Cholesterol - The diabetics have a high risk to develop heart disease so we want to keep the cholesterol level low. The bad cholesterol, which is also known as LDL, should be checked every year for obvious reason and should be less than 100. Consult with the doctor to see if you have to take medication to lower your cholesterol level.
Tip# 3 Monitor Your Health
- Feet - The diabetics have a high risk to develop infection in the feet and due to poor circulation, you may not notice this until the problem can lead to amputation. This does not need to happen. Examine your feet every day. When visiting your doctor, remove your shoes and socks so he can examine your feet. Consult with a podiatrist regularly.
- Blood pressure - Again, knowing that people with diabetes have a high risk to develop heart disease, it is crucial to keep the blood pressure checked at every doctor's visit. Try to keep this below 130/80. The latest recommendation now is for all diabetics to take ACE inhibitor which is a blood pressure drug. This is to protect the kidney.
- Eyes - The eyes have to be examined every year by the eye doctor so that any sign of trouble can be faced.
Tip# 4 Maintain Good Health Habits
- Exercise - This is an important part of proper diabetes management. In fact it is just as important as taking medications. Exercise has been known to reverse diabetes.
- Diet - Eat healthy meals that are chockfull of fruits and vegetables and whole grains and fiber in small portions. A nutritionist can help you find the best menus for you.
Protect Your Immune System
- Pneumonia Vaccine - This is a once in a lifetime immunization that every diabetics should have.
- Flu Shot - Get vaccinated every fall as diabetes affects the ability to recover from infections.
Sometimes managing diabetes can be overwhelming but keeping a record of the tests and all you need to know will help you track what you need to do. You can use this list for a start and put down your diabetes number plus all the others for blood pressure and so on. Then make sure you keep the communication lines with your doctor open.
