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| Diabetes Treatment |
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Treatment
Overview
Treatment for diabetes varies on a number
of factors, including weight, age and any complications you may
encounter
Diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be
controlled. Strict control of blood glucose, or blood sugar, as well
as blood pressure and cholesterol is the best defense against the
serious complications of diabetes.
People with type 1 diabetes control their
blood sugar with insulin injections and frequent self-monitoring of
blood glucose. People with type 2 diabetes generally control their
blood sugar with oral medications and, in some cases, insulin.
Sometimes a person with type 2 diabetes can control blood glucose
levels with diet and exercise alone. |
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Patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes will need
insulin shots each day to replace insulin the pancreas can't
produce. Gestational diabetes is usually treated with diet and
insulin shots as needed.
Type 2 diabetes may be treated with
oral medication and insulin shots. Oral medication can stimulate the
pancreas to make more insulin, help the cells in the body use
insulin, keep starches from being broken down into glucose in the
intestines, and reduce the amount of glucose released from the
liver.
Lifestyle
You can?t eliminate risk factors
such as age, family history or ethnicity, but you can incorporate a
healthy diet and increased physical activity into your day-to-day
activities. Lifestyle changes are the most effective treatment for
type 2 diabetes and can prevent the need for medicine.
Weight
loss tops the list of recommended lifestyle changes (as little as 10
to 15 pounds can make a difference). Controlling high blood
pressure, quitting smoking and drug use, and limiting alcohol
consumption are also important.
A study done by the Harvard
School of Public Health and published in The New England Journal
of Medicine found that obesity was the single most important
factor in predicting who would develop type 2 diabetes. The study
found that at least 30 minutes of exercise a day and a diet low in
fat and high in fiber significantly cut the risk for participants of
developing type 2 diabetes.
Another study by the Finnish
Diabetes Prevention Study Group showed that a high-risk group that
lost weight and improved physical activity reduced their risk of
developing diabetes by more than 50
percent.
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The diabetes plan that you and your doctor
or diabetes educator work out should include
the following:
- a
list of short- and long-term goals
- a
prioritized list of the changes you'll
need to make, such as stopping smoking,
being more active, or losing weight
- a
list of medications, including how,
why, and when to take them
- advice
on eating and meal planning from a
qualified diabetes educator
- a
list of classes on how to manage your
diabetes that are available for you
and your family
- a
set of instructions to teach you:
- how
to check and record your blood
glucose levels
- what
to do if you have a low blood
glucose reaction
- how
to test your urine for ketones
- guidelines
for how often and when to see your
doctor
- a
schedule for when you need to see
other specialists, if you need to,
including an eye doctor,
foot doctor, and
dentist
- guidelines
and plans for how to respond when
you are sick
- a
birth control and pregnancy plan for
women
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There are so many other Treatment Options
which you wil find in the Diabetes
Health Care Kit |
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