Between learning a new way of eating, juggling medications and starting or tweaking your exercise routine, finding out you have diabetes can be overwhelming.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that, if not properly managed, can have devastating consequences, including heart attack, stroke, amputations, blindness and even death.
Successful management requires people with diabetes to master seven skills, according to the American Association of Diabetes Educators:
- Healthy eating: Make sure the foods you eat contain the right amounts of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Eat on schedule. Watch your salt intake. Learn to read a nutrition label and work with your health team to make sure your diet matches up with your individual needs. Oh, and learn how to make room for treats once in a while.
- Being active: Get in your aerobic, strength and flexibility training most days of the week. If you have Type 2 diabetes, activity helps control your blood sugar and can help you lose weight. You also need to know how physical activity will affect your blood sugar levels, and what to do if your blood sugar goes too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia) after activity.
- Monitoring: Checking your blood sugar levels regularly is the best way to make sure your diet, medication and activity regimen are working to keep your blood sugar at a healthy level. You need to work with your team to make sure you know how and when to check your blood sugar, what the results mean and how to respond to the results.
- Taking medications: If you have Type 1 diabetes, you’ll be taking insulin for the rest of your life, or until a cure is found. If you have Type 2 diabetes, you’ll likely need oral medications plus a combination of lifestyle habits (healthy eating and physical activity) to keep your blood sugar at healthy levels. The longer you have Type 2 diabetes, the more likely it is your body will lose the ability to produce insulin on its own and you’ll need to begin taking insulin. So you need to know how and when to take your medications, how they work, what their side effects are and how to manage those side effects. You also need to know how to talk to your health team if the medications become less effective.
- Problem-solving: Diabetes is chronic, and it tends to cause more health problems over time. Physical activity, stress, schedule changes that disrupt your eating plan and every day illnesses like the flu can all have an impact on your blood sugar levels. You need to learn what those impacts are, and know how to adjust to keep the disease under control. What if your insulin pump malfunctions? How do you navigate a dinner buffet at a wedding? That’s where problem-solving comes in.
- Risk reduction: Preventive maintenance on your car can keep the engine from overheating or the tires from going flat. For people with diabetes, preventive maintenance means seeing your health care provider regularly to make sure the disease isn’t damaging your nerves, your eyesight, your kidneys and other systems. You need to get your cholesterol, blood pressure, feet, teeth and eyes examined regularly to stay healthy. Work with your health team to make sure you’re getting all your maintenance checks.
- Healthy coping: Managing diabetes requires a lifetime of dedication, and it can be tiresome and frustrating to have to live with lots of “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” and still have to navigate the real world. Learn healthy ways to stay motivated to stick to your management regimen and to manage stress.
The St. Elizabeth Physicians Regional Diabetes Center also offers tips for diabetics who were recently diagnosed and may have more questions. Find resources here.
