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How Can Diabetes Be Controlled?

If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, living with diabetes may seem like an insurmountable task with the daily finger pricks and keeping track of glucose levels. It is important to remember that a diagnosis of diabetes can turn your life around in a positive way by educating yourself and making sure that you have the tools necessary to live a healthy life.

  1. Health Risks for Untreated Diabetes

    • If glucose levels build up in the bloodstream, it is possible that blood vessels, feet, organs and other parts of the body can be damaged. Untreated diabetes often has terrible complications, including loss of vision, kidney malfunction, nerve damage, loss of libido and lower-limb amputation. It is possible to reduce the risk of health problems by keeping your blood sugar levels within a healthy range.

    Diet and Exercise

    • Diabetics should stick to a sugar-free diet, but that doesn't mean you need to purchase special food. By limiting sugars and carbohydrates, it is possible to avoid a spike in blood sugar. It is important to maintain well-balanced meals while avoiding foods that are sweet or high in fat. If you are overweight, focus on losing weight to decrease blood pressure and keep blood glucose levels lower. Exercise uses up glucose, so it may even decrease the amount of medicine needed.

    Smoking

    • Smoking decreases the circulation of your blood and places pressure on heart function, increasing chances of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular issues. Diabetes acts in the same way, but by eliminating tobacco use, it is possible to remove a risk factor in the severity of diabetes and its effects on your life.

    Regular Checkups and Tests

    • At the beginning of a treatment plan, it is important that you schedule regular checkups. After there are steady results from the treatment plan, it may be possible to decrease the frequency of the visits. Blood and urine tests are an important aspect to diabetic health, as these tests help determine if your kidneys are working properly, check your cholesterol level, and check to see how the blood sugar is being controlled by the body.

    Medication for Diabetes

    • After being diagnosed with diabetes, a doctor may prescribe medication or injections to help regulate your insulin levels. For those with diabetes, daily insulin injections allow insulin to enter the body so food is converted into energy. Insulin cannot be taken orally because the digestive tract breaks insulin down before it can reach the bloodstream. Oral diabetes medications help the body produce insulin more efficiently or helps to achieve control over glucose levels. It is important to know if you should take it with or without food and if it should be taken at a specific time of day.

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