THE IMPORTANCE OF TALKING TO YOUR DOCTOR
Having
diabetes is difficult, but here's encouraging news: Aggressively managing your
diabetes can make your RealAge up to 7.3 years younger.
Whether
you've just been diagnosed with diabetes or you've had it for a while, your
doctor can guide you through the steps to live better with diabetes–everything
from how to manage diabetes drugs to understanding how diabetes affects the
rest of your health.
Start
by asking your doctor these eight questions about diabetes treatment.
SHOULD
I WORK WITH A CERTIFIED DIABETES EDUCATOR?
Wondering
how to read a food label, manage your frustration with diabetes, or build
exercise into your day? If so, a certified diabetes educator (CDE) can help. A
CDE is a healthcare professional trained to help people with diabetes improve
their health and cope with the challenges.
"A
CDE may be the single most important provider to ensure success in living well
with diabetes," says Gregg F. Gerety, MD, an endocrinologist in Albany,
N.Y. "Working with a diabetes educator leads to a better understanding of
what diabetes is and how it can be best managed to live well and remain
problem-free. The patients who do best have the right treatment tools and
self-management skills."
WHAT
ARE MY NUMBERS?
Knowing
your ABCs (A1c, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels) is important when you
have diabetes, says Melinda Maryniuk, RD, CDE, director of clinical education
programs for the Joslin Center in Boston. Understanding your goals helps you
take steps to bring those numbers down.
"The
more you know and understand about how your body works, the more motivated you
are to do something to continue to improve your health," Maryniuk says.
A1c, which is your average blood glucose level in the last two to three months,
is especially important because it tells you how well your blood sugar is being
controlled. Lowering your A1c by just one point can reduce your risk for
complications by 40%.
WHAT
SHOULD I DO FOR EXERCISE?
Regular
physical activity is critical for people with diabetes. "Exercise makes
body cells more sensitive to insulin, which helps lower blood glucose,"
Gerety says. "It also lowers blood pressure, improves lipids, and burns
calories, which helps with weight loss.
It
improves your overall sense of well-being, so it helps control stress."
Ask your doctor which types of exercise are best for diabetes. Even taking
three 10-minute walks a day can help lower your blood glucose level
HOW
CAN I LOSE WEIGHT?
More
than 85% of people who have type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Losing
even a little of the extra weight can help improve insulin sensitivity. (In
people who have prediabetes–a state in which blood glucose is elevated but not
high enough to be diabetes–losing just 5% to 10% of your body weight with diet
and exercise helps reduce the risk of progressing to full-blown diabetes.)
Ask
your doctor for specific weight loss programs that have helped other diabetes
patients. "People know intuitively what they need to do to lose
weight," Maryniuk says. "But they’re often more successful if they
have support from a program like Weight Watchers, or just having your doctor
check in."
HOW
OFTEN SHOULD I CHECK MY BLOOD SUGAR?
Checking
your blood glucose (blood sugar) is an important way to gauge how well you’re
managing your diabetes. How often you check typically depends on whether you’re
taking insulin or oral diabetes medications, says Betul Hatipoglu, MD, an
endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic.
"Even
for people who take no medications, it’s always good to know what’s going on in
your body," she says. "Blood sugars are like light in a dark tunnel.
It’s information against your enemy. If you don’t have information, you can’t fight
as well as you can. Are you going up? Are you doing well? It gives you a
snapshot of how you’re doing."
HOW
WILL I KNOW IF MY BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL IS LOW?
Almost
everyone with diabetes experiences low blood sugar or hypoglycemia at one time
or another. If your blood sugar gets too low, you’re at risk of losing
consciousness, which can be dangerous. The key is to recognize the symptoms of
hypoglycemia and treat them before your blood glucose level drops too low.
People
on the brink of hypoglycemia often feel shaky, dizzy, and weak. Ask your doctor
about strategies to quickly boost your blood sugar by eating carbs–a half-cup
of juice, for instance–or taking an injection of glucagon, a
blood-sugar-raising drug prescribed by your doctor.
HOW
DO I AVOID DIABETES COMPLICATIONS?
Over
time, high blood glucose levels boost the odds that you’ll have diabetes
complications, such as heart disease, kidney disease, and neuropathy, so it’s
important to ask your doctor about ways to avoid these problems. "Keeping
blood glucose levels down is the best insurance to guard against
complications," Maryniuk says.
Since
heart disease is the most common diabetes complication, she adds, keeping blood
pressure close to your target will help protect your heart health. Also, ask
your doctor about the tests and exams you need, such as kidney function tests,
eye exams, and biannual dental visits.
WHO
SHOULD BE ON MY DIABETES HEALTHCARE TEAM?
Assembling
a strong team of medical experts is critical to good diabetes healthcare.
Although most of your visits may be with your primary care doctor, you'll also
need other specialists, such as an endocrinologist, eye doctor, podiatrist,
certified diabetes educator, and dentist. It also doesn’t hurt to befriend your
local pharmacist, too, and/or seek out advice from a dietitian. Ask your doctor
for referrals. Working with a team–with you as the captain–will allow you to
create a custom plan that helps you take charge of your diabetes and live
younger.
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