4 Steps to Diabetes Management for your Life
Diabetes is a group of disease in which blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high in the body. The glucose comes from the various types of food we eat. It is a chronic medical ailment, which is increasing at an alarming rate, especially in the last couple of years. A lifestyle of people has become in a way that intentionally or unintentionally, you tend to include food that contains high sugar in your day-to-day diet.
High blood sugar level can adversely affect your health. For people who are suffering from diabetes, are often given advice around diet control and weight loss or tips to do diabetes management! Before further analysis of this condition, let us understand more about the condition and diabetes management.
Following are the Steps to Diabetes Management:
Step 1: Learn about the type of ailment.
The three main categories of diabetes are:
• Type I –
It is a chronic condition, in which your body stops making insulin. This is where the problem lies, as one needs insulin to take the sugar quotient (or glucose) from the food we consume and turn it into energy for your body, on a regular basis. According to scientists, genes and environmental factors, such as viruses, cause this.
It generally appears in adolescence. It is found that it might be genetic and environmental reasons. It develops gradually but its symptoms seem to come suddenly. It is very rare in the USA. It can affect major parts of the body like heart, nerves, eyes, blood vessels, and kidneys.
In serious condition, you must consult to your doctor, as it require regular lab tests and imaging. Treatment can help to keep the condition under control but it cannot be cured.
• Type II –
In this case, your body stops making insulin or resists insulin. It might be required to take prescribed insulin or other medication to control the level of diabetes in your body. It is the most common diabetes. It is advised to do lab test or imaging on regular basis.
This type of diabetes is curable by good treatment. Some of the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are increased thirst, frequent urination, hunger, fatigue, and blurred vision.
• Gestational diabetes –
Particularly found in women, when they are pregnant. It also called diabetes during pregnancy. This kind of diabetes is often controlled post pregnancy or post giving birth there are chances of getting it back! If it not cured at initial stage then it increases the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes. In most cases its symptoms not shown but after detecting, it can be cured in months.
Step 2: Identify your diabetes ABCs
Consult a specialist and learn as to how to manage your sugar level, blood pressure, and cholesterol. This helps you lead a fit lifestyle with proper diabetes cure.
Here ABCs we mean, A for A1C test, B for Blood Pressure and C for Cholesterol.
The blood test, also known as A1C, helps in measuring your average blood sugar level, over the past three months. It is slightly different from the blood sugar tests you may have occasionally done.
Being diabetic, it is very crucial to know and measure your blood sugar level over time. High levels of blood sugar can harm your blood vessels, kidneys, heart, feet as well as eyes.
Blood pressure acts as a force of blood alongside the wall of the blood vessels. Therefore, in case your blood pressure gets too high, it makes your heart work too hard, which can result in a stroke, heart attack, or may damage your kidneys and eyes.
Lastly, there are two kinds of cholesterol in your blood: LDL and HDL. LDL or more commonly known as “bad” cholesterol can build up and clog your blood vessels. It can cause a heart attack or stroke.
HDL or more commonly known as “good” cholesterol helps to remove the “bad” cholesterol from the blood vessels.
Step 3: Learn how to sustain as a diabetic person
Mood swings are very common in case you have diabetes. You may know the steps you should take to stay fit and healthy, though might have trouble sticking to your plan over time. An active lifestyle, regular exercise, and a controlled diet makes you go a long way!
Here are some common tips to control blood sugar:
- Lose Those Extra Kilos
- Follow a Balanced Diet with Complex Carbs
- Benefits of Barley (a special mixture of dietary fibres)
- Benefits of Resistant Starch (occurs naturally in foods such as bananas, potatoes, grains and legumes)
- Try Nuts (contains unsaturated fats, protein, vitamins and minerals to control cholesterol)
- Ginger Benefits (control blood glucose by using muscle cells)
- Cinnamon Can Help
- Have Breakfast Like a King (eat calories rich food)
- Maintain Regular Meal Schedule
- Physical Activity is a Must
Step 4: Follow a routine to stay healthy
Visit your doctor quite often (at least twice a year) in order to find out and treat any early signs or symptoms of the ailment. This way you can even control it from getting worse.
At each visit, make sure to get a blood pressure, weight, sugar check-ups done. Also, consult your dietician to understand your daily sources of nutrition and food better that is the only way to do proper diabetes management.
List of common diabetic medications include:
- Actoplus Met
- Actos
- Afrezza
- Amaryl
- Apidra
- Avandamet
- Avandia
- BD Needles
- Byetta
- Cetapin XR