10 ways to reduce diabetes

complication

What is diabetes?

There are three main types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes – Your body does not make insulin. This is a problem because you need insulin to take the sugar (glucose) from the foods you eat and turn it into energy for your body. You need to take insulin every day to live.

Type 2 diabetes – Your body does not make or use insulin well. You may need to take pills or insulin to help control your diabetes. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes – Some women get this kind of diabetes when they are pregnant. Most of the time, it goes away after the baby is born. But even if it goes away, these women and their children have a greater chance of getting diabetes later in life.

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Diabetes is a serious disease. Following your

diabetes treatment plan takes round-the-clock

commitment. But your efforts are worthwhile.

Careful diabetes care can reduce your risk of

serious even life-threatening complications.

Here are 10 ways to take an active role in

diabetes care and enjoy a healthier future.

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1. Make a strict rule yourself to

managing the diabetes

Doctor, diabetes nurse educator and dietitian, will help you learn the basics of diabetes care and offer support and encouragement along the way. But it's up to you to manage your condition. After all, no one has a greater stake in your health than you.

Learn all you can about diabetes. Make healthy eating and physical activity part of your daily routine. Maintain a healthy weight. Monitor your blood sugar level, and follow your doctor's instructions for keeping your blood sugar level within your target range. Don't be afraid to ask your diabetes treatment team for help when you need it.

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2. Avoid Smoking

Smoking increases your risk

of various diabetes

complications, including heart

attack, stroke, nerve damage

and kidney disease. In fact,

smokers who have diabetes

are three times more likely to

die of cardiovascular disease

than are nonsmokers who

have diabetes.visit www.healthheal.in

3. Keep your blood pressure

and cholesterol under control.

Like diabetes, high blood pressure can damage your blood vessels. High cholesterol is a concern, too, since the damage is often worse and more rapid when you have diabetes. When these conditions team up, they can lead to a heart attack, stroke or other life-threatening conditions.

Eating healthy foods and exercising regularly can go a long way toward controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol. Sometimes medication is needed, too.

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4. Stress makes everything

worse

Stress can get in the way

of taking care of yourself

and managing your

diabetes.

Find out what's causing

stress in your life.

Learn ways to reduce or

cope with daily stressors.

Schedule something fun

for yourself on a regular

basis

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5. Get routine care to stay

healthy.

See your health care team at least twice a year to find and treat any problems early.

At each visit, be sure you have a:

blood pressure check

foot check

weight check

review of your self-care plan

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6. Pay attention to your feet.

High blood sugar can damage the nerves in your feet and reduce blood flow to your feet. Left untreated, cuts and blisters can lead to serious infections. To prevent foot problems:

Wash your feet daily in lukewarm water.

Dry your feet gently, especially between the toes.

Moisturize your feet and ankles with lotion.

Check your feet every day for blisters, cuts, sores, redness or swelling.

Consult your doctor if you have a sore or other foot problem that doesn't start to heal within a few days.

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7. Make sure you're not

depressedIt's often hard for people to know when they're depressed. Here are some common signs:

Feeling down, blue, hopeless, sad, or irritable

Not enjoying activities that used to be enjoyable

Feeling as though you're letting other people down

Trouble concentrating

Tired all the time, no energy

No interest in food

Overeatingvisit www.healthheal.in

8. Limit alcohol

Alcohol can cause low

blood sugar, depending

on how much you drink

and whether you eat at

the same time. If you

choose to drink, do so

only in moderation and

always with a meal.

Remember to include the

calories from any alcohol

you drink in your daily

calorie count.visit www.healthheal.in

9. Exercise makes everything

better

Exercise is good for

everybody. It gives you

more energy, reduces

stress, helps you relax, and

makes it easier to fall

asleep.

Work towards doing at

least 30 minutes every

day.

Make it fun, not a chore.

Try a pedometer.visit www.healthheal.in

10. Track your diabetes result from

this card.My Diabetes Care Record

How to use the record.

First read the shaded bar across the page. This tells you:

the name of the test or check-up

how often to get the test or check-up

what your personal goal is (for A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol)

Then, write down the date and results for each test or check-up you get. Take this card with you on your health care visits. Show it to your health care team. Talk about your goals and how you are doing.

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My Diabetes Care

Record

How to use the

record.

Use this page to write

down the date and

results of each test,

exam, or shot.

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Self Checks of Blood Sugar

How to use this card.

This card has three sections. Each section tells you when to check your blood sugar: before each meal, 1 to 2 hours after each meal, and at bedtime. Each time you check your blood sugar, write down the date, time, and results. Take this card with you on your health care visits. Show it to your health care team. Talk about your goals and how you are doing.

* Your blood sugar goals may be different if you are an older adult (over 65)

and have had diabetes a long time. They may be different if you have other

health problems like heart disease, or your blood sugar often gets too low.

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