Treating Diabetes At Home

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Treating Diabetes At Home

Once your doctor diagnoses you with diabetes, the first step you should take is to learn as much about the disease as possible. Your doctor will counsel you about healthy lifestyle changes, controlling your blood sugar and treatment you will need. Together you will set goals to control your diabetes, and you will be given the tools to meet your goals. You will learn everything you need to know about taking care of your body, what treatment is right for you, watching for complications, and how to deal with your disease daily.

Your doctor may ask you to visit specialists for foot care, eye care, and kidney problems. All of them will be part of your team to help control the diabetes, instead of the diabetes controlling you. Various members of your team will see you regularly to be sure you are making progress on controlling your blood sugar levels.

If you have Type 1 diabetes, you will need an insulin injection by you or someone else. Even if someone else gives you your injections, you should know the procedure in case you need to inject yourself in an emergency. You will also need to know how to store your insulin. Injections are normally given around mealtime and is predetermined by your doctor, or based on your blood sugar level. You must eat regular meals if you are using insulin. If not, you could develop hypoglycemia, or insulin reaction and go into a coma.

Exercise is an important part of home care. As little as a 20-minute walk, three times a week will make an impact on your sugar levels. Any extra exercise will be a benefit to your health. Even walking slow for 20 minutes will help. A little exercise is better than no exercise at all. If you already have complications, check with your doctor to find out what exercise you will be able to do without harming your body.

Eating healthy is important when you have diabetes. You should eat a diet that is high in fiber, and low in fats and sugar. Try eating at regular times and about the same amount of food each day. This will make it easier to control your blood sugar levels.

If you are a smoker, your risk at developing severe complications from your diabetes goes up. Smoking has probably already damaged your blood vessels and put you at risk for heart disease and stroke. Damaged blood vessels mean poor circulation in your lower extremities and could cause serious problems, including amputation.

If you drink alcohol, you need to drink in moderation or quit. If you continue to drink, you should never have more that seven drinks a week, and only two or three on any day. Alcohol can cause a change either lowering or raising your sugar levels, increase your triglycerides, and cause nerve pain.

It is possible to take care of your diabetes. You will need to make healthy lifestyle changes, quit smoking, and limit your alcohol intake.