Treatment Plan for Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body uses sugar, or glucose. Some diabetics can manage their symptoms with diet and exercise, while more severe cases involve regular injections of insulin or regular blood sugar monitoring via blood tests. No matter the type, a treatment plan exists that can help individuals live normal lives with diabetes.

Treatment for All Types

• Certain lifestyle changes and treatments can be beneficial for any type of diabetes that a patient has. These include:

  Healthy eating. Diabetics do not have to eat only a specific type of food, but they do have to be careful about how much of each type of food they consume. If you have diabetes, a nutritionist or dietitian can help you make a meal plan for yourself and give you guidelines about the quantities to eat from each food group every day. You can still enjoy a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables and even some sugary foods. But you will need to maintain a proper dietary balance according to your personalized eating plan.

  The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse recommends eating mostly starches, fruits and vegetables every day and only a few fatty foods or sugars. Their website offers a food pyramid for diabetes as well as a recommended calorie intake based on your relative weight and activity levels.

  Exercise. Physical activity lowers your blood sugar and increases your sensitivity to insulin (this means you don't need as much insulin as you would without exercise). Diabetic patients should always consult with their doctors before beginning an exercise routine. However, 20 to 30 minutes per day of aerobic activity can be very beneficial in managing diabetes symptoms.

  The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse recommends caution when beginning an exercise program. Diabetics should remember to check their feet for sores after exercise, and to ask their doctors about exercising when their blood glucose levels are high. Exercise is a very important part of managing diabetes, but it needs to be regulated just like a diet plan.

Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

• Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in young people. In this form of diabetes, your body no longer produces insulin, so you have to replace that insulin regularly (usually via a shot or insulin pen administered daily). Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body resists insulin and your pancreas has to work harder to produce more insulin as a result. People of any age can develop type 2 diabetes, which is more likely to occur in people who are overweight and/or inactive.

  Everyone with type 1 diabetes needs regular insulin in order to survive, and sometimes people with type 2 diabetes also need insulin injections. Your doctor will prescribe insulin therapy based on your individual needs.

  Blood sugar monitoring is an important part of the process of treating diabetes. Diabetic patients can obtain a glucose monitor to test their blood daily. Based on the results of the test, they will know how much or how little sugar to eat in their next meal. Work with your doctor to determine a blood-sugar monitoring routine that will work best for you and your specific diabetic problems.

  Oral medications. There are some oral diabetic medications that you may also take. Your doctor will determine whether or not these medications are necessary, and prescribe what you need.

Other Issues

• Some pregnant women experience diabetes symptoms only during pregnancy; this is known as gestational diabetes. Treatments for gestational diabetes always include monitoring diet and getting physical activity; in some cases, blood sugar monitoring and insulin therapy will also be needed.

  Other patients may be diagnosed with prediabetes. This means they are at a high risk of eventually developing type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes patients can usually manage symptoms (and reduce the likelihood that they will develop full-blown diabetes) with diet and exercise. Sometimes they may also take diabetes oral medications or other medications to reduce cholesterol.

  In severe cases, diabetes treatments may include surgery. Some patients with type 1 diabetes may benefit from a pancreas transplant. A successful transplant would mean that a diabetic patient would no longer need insulin therapy. However, pancreatic transplants can be risky and dangerous.