Three Types of Diabetes:

Type One: Your body does not make insulin on its own
Type Two: Your body does not make or does not efectivey use the insulin it produces.
Gestational- AKA Pregnancy Diabetes: Normally goes away after childbirth. However, requires management during pregnancy.

Learn About Your Diabetes:

Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes you can begin learning to effectively manage and cope with the disease. This can be done with proper diet and portion control, medication management, exercise, and through self monitoring, evaluation, and self regulation.

Equipment such as an accucheck machine can be purchased and may be covered under your insurance to monitor you blood sugar levels depending on the severity of your disease your blood sugar will need to be checked either more often if your blood sugar levels are severely elevated (3 or more times a day) and less often if you are a borderline diabetic or a controllled diabetic (once weekly or during your doctor visits).

Your medical doctor will need to write a prescription for diabetic testing supplies if testing daily is required.

Medications:

Oral insulin and subcutaneous insulin may be prescribed for you if other methods such as diet and exercise have been ineffective in controlling your diabetes.

Know the Complications of Your Disease:

Hypoglycemia

Blood sugar levels that are lower then 70 mg/dl. Symptoms include: dizziness, lightheaded feeling, sweating, confusion, weakness, feeling shakey, hunger, headaches, irritability, anxiety, pale skin, pounding heart, trembeling, and poor coordination and poor concentration. Symptoms that are left untreated will progress to passing out and coma.

Treatment: Sugar- sugar tablets. If you pass out you will need someone to give you a glucogoin injection.

Hyperglycemia

Blood sugar level that are above 150mg/dl. Symptoms include: thirst, headache, trouble concentrating, blurred vision, urinary frequency, weight loss, vision problems, among other. If left untreated complications such as nerve damage, eye damage, blood vessel, kidney damage. This can be deadly for type two diabetics as hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome (hhns) can develop.

Treatment: Take medications as prescribed, eat frequently on a schedule, practice portion control, test blood sugar levels at different times such as before meals and two hours after meals to make sure that your meal paterns and medications are properly scheduled. Take control of your diabetes by evaluating and reevaluating your dietary patterns daily. Stay on top of things in between doctor visits.

Learn About HgA1c

Make sure that you are attending your scheduled physician visits and cooperative with blood work testing. Hga1c is a blood test that will calculate your average blood sugar for a three-month period. If your results are extremely elevated that will be an excellent indicator that you’re not managing your diet and medications properly which will put you into a high-risk category for secondary complications such as hypertension, vascular disease, and vision problems.

Actions to Take:

  • Manage your blood pressure
  • Check your feet
  • Manage your weight
  • Keep your cholesterol and lipid levels in check
  • Exercise more often
  • Maintain scheduled doctor appointments
  • Learn how to prepare meals that you enjoy without sugar
  • Keep notes- write down your blood pressure, blood sugar, and lab results each time they are tested
  • See a dietition or nutritionist to help you develop a diet you love
  • Seek support from caregivers and healthcare professionals