Diabetes Self Management: Diabetes has become so well known in the past few years that it seems every other person has been diagnosed with it. Those who have been diagnosed are well on their way to learning about self-management. However, some people are not familiar with how they can do that. I will tell you exactly how you can manage your diabetes and still live life a normal as possible.
Let’s start by talking about “the test”, this “test” makes you feel as though you will taking your SAT’s every single morning. However, this is a very normal and natural test that is needed daily to provide you with security about your diabetes.
First, you will want to take your glucose level and write it down on a chart. This chart can be found online or sometimes your doctor will give you one or you could even just find some regular paper to write down the time, date, and glucose level.
You will also want to make a space for blood pressure amounts daily, this will help determine rather or not your diabetes is affecting your blood pressure. If it is the doctor may prescribe medications or another diet for you to start.
You should also weigh yourself and write that down, they will be best to show any weight loss or weight gain which can also be very important for your doctor know about. If there is too much weight gain or too much weight loss then your doctor may start running tests to find out why that is.
Very importantly look at your feet, write down any blemishes, sores, redness, aches, and pains. Since ulcers can appear on the feet it is very important to write those down if you notice any of these signs. The first step to healing a person’s feet is knowing about them, so look your feet up and down very well. If you have an ulcer that you don’t know about, because sometimes they cannot even be felt then it may grow into something unfixable and then lead to possible amputation.
Inspect your teeth while brushing them, sometimes those who have diabetes will find their teeth starting to take on decay and other things. Therefore, writing down the differences you may start to see may help your doctor and dentist know what is going on.
These tests will all be performed once you go into the doctor’s office. However, knowing them at home beforehand can save a lot of time if something does happen to go wrong. Your doctor will do other tests also some are done every time you visit the doctor’s office while others are tested yearly.
For instance, your doctor will also have you take an eye exam from your eye doctor. Every 3-6 months you’ll have to do a blood test called HbA1c which measures blood levels. Another test called Microalbuminuria (a urine kidney test) will be done to find out what is going on with your kidneys or if everything is ok in that area. Blood tests that measure fats in the body that could apply to heart disease are to be measured annually unless a problem is found and then doctors will measure every 3-6 months.
Your cholesterol will be taken every year along with triglycerides and HDL/LDL’s.
Those who want to see big improvements in these tests can start taking care of their diabetes by signing up for a diabetes self-management class. You can find them online. They will teach you how to manage your everyday life with diabetes and find the inner strength to help keep your blood sugars in the normal range and live you’re live more freely.
