Managing Your Diabetes
Managing your diabetes includes getting proper medical care for the diabetes and living a healthy lifestyle. Monitoring blood sugar levels is essential, but managing diabetes does not end there.
A diabetic diet can help the diabetic patient regulate their diet. Eating a well-balanced diet is essential. A dietician may recommend a traditional diabetic diet or a diet of counting carbohydrates for diabetes.
Regular exercise helps the body metabolize the glucose in the blood. A common recommendation is for diabetic patients to exercise three or four days a week for half an hour. This is especially beneficial for people with diabetes who need to lose weight since weight loss can make diabetes easier to manage.
A regular sleep schedule is recommended for people with diabetes. Getting enough sleep should be a priority for people with diabetes. If the person is having trouble sleeping, the sleep problems should be reported to the physician.
Diabetes management includes stress management since stress can negatively impact blood glucose levels. The physician or a therapist can teach the person with diabetes how to manage stress with techniques like progressive relaxation.
People who have diabetes should avoid consuming alcohol, especially if they have high levels of triglycerides or diabetes complications. Alcohol consumption can worsen diabetes complications that are caused by nerve damage.
Drinking alcohol can also cause low blood sugar since alcohol interferes with the liver's ability to produce glucose. Therefore, people with diabetes may be at risk of low blood sugar if they drink alcohol.
People with diabetes need to get prompt medical attention for sores on the feet. Sores on the feet are susceptible to infection. For people with diabetes, infected sores on the feet can lead to gangrene and the need to amputation.
Blood glucose levels need to be checked as often as the doctor advises. The diabetic person needs to report difficulty controlling blood glucose levels to their physicians. Uncontrolled blood glucose levels increase the person's risk of diabetes complications.
In addition to having regular check-ups with their physician, people with diabetes should have annual eye exams and regular dental exams. If diabetic patients notice numbness in the hands or feet or other possible signs of diabetes complications, they should notify their physicians.