Diabetes - Current Management Strategies

June 28, 2020

4 min read

Current management strategies for diabetes focus on making good eating choices, exercising regularly, taking prescribed medications, and keeping a healthy weight. Part of living with diabetes is learning as much as possible about the disease and following up-to-date management guidelines.

Know Your Blood Sugar Levels

You might test your blood sugar levels more than once daily, but it is important to know how your blood sugar levels trend. An A1C test every three months can give your current blood sugar number, and a numeric goal to reach. Keeping blood sugar levels at an appropriate number is critical. Rising blood sugar levels cause complications, including increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, eye issues, and foot problems.

The A1C test is the “A” part of ABC diabetes management. B stands for blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, causes the heart to overwork. The result is often a heart attack or stroke or eye or kidney damage. Your doctor may prescribe blood pressure medication to put your blood pressure numbers in a healthier range.

C stands for cholesterol. If your cholesterol numbers are high, your doctor may prescribe statins, a medication that can reduce cholesterol levels and aid heart health.

Medical Management

Regular medical checkups are key to successful diabetes management. Diabetes can affect various parts of the body, and your healthcare provider can identify some of these issues before they become too serious.

Those using insulin to manage their diabetes should see their doctor every three to four months. If managing the condition through diet and exercise or other diabetes medications, make sure to see the doctor at least twice annually. A lipid profile test for triglycerides and cholesterol levels is necessary at least once a year.

Those with complications must see their physician more frequently. Let the doctor know at once if you develop any infection.

People with diabetes should see their dentists every six months. They should also undergo an annual eye exam. A yearly urine test may reveal any kidney problems. Have your doctor check your feet thoroughly at least once a year. Protect yourself with an annual flu shot and any other immunizations recommended by the doctor.

Take your medications as prescribed and do not make any changes without consulting your doctor.

Basic Diabetes Management

Basic diabetes management revolves around healthy eating and exercise. Your diabetes team can help you devise the right meal plans to help manage your disease. Good food choices include consuming foods low in calories and fats and high in fiber. Read the nutrition labels on food. Drink plenty of water, and avoid soda or juice.

Keep yourself active. Take a good walk every day. If you are not used to walking as exercise, start out with 10-minute walks three times daily and increase the amount of time you walk from there. Since it is also important to increase muscle strength, consider exercises that boost your muscles. This may include yoga, performing push-ups, or doing heavier-duty yard and housework.

Diabetes management is more than what you do – it’s also what you do not do. People with diabetes should not smoke or deal with too much stress. That’s often easier said than done, but stress raises blood sugar. Consider taking a stress management class, or discover ways to lower stress. That might involve meditation, taking long walks, working in the garden, or enjoying favorite activities. If necessary, your doctor may prescribe antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications to help you deal with stress.

Track Your Goals

Diabetes patients are given goals for blood sugar self-checking. Your particular goal is based on your own health history and how long you have been diabetic. Check your blood sugar before meals, one to two hours after a meal, and at bedtime. Along with keeping track of your blood sugar, make sure to record your numbers. You can then show your diabetes team your numbers to see if your goals are on track.

Check Yourself

Blood sugar levels are not the only item you must check daily. An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure, and nowhere is that more true than when dealing with diabetes. Since foot problems are so common in diabetes patients, check your feet every day for any abnormalities, including blisters or swelling. If a cut or sore is not healing, let the doctor know right away.

Purchase a blood pressure monitor so you can see whether you are meeting your target numbers.

Join a Support Group

A diabetes support group can provide tips and tools to aid in your disease management, as well as opportunities to learn and connect from those in a similar situation. You can share your challenges and learn more about current and new diabetes management and treatment options. Most importantly, you learn there are others on this same journey and feel less isolated in dealing with your disease.