How Diabetes Can Be Managed And Treated
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you will find that it is no longer easy to process the carbohydrates that are found in many foods. For that reason, your blood sugar levels can increase, which thus boosts your risk for a number of complications, such as vision loss, heart disease, nerve damage, and chronic infections. Thankfully, with the help of your doctor, you can follow a treatment plan that will keep your blood sugar levels where they need to be. Here are a few ways that diabetes is managed and treated.
Take Prescribed Medications
Doctors can prescribe a number of medications to help with the treatment of diabetes, depending on whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. If you have type 1, you have difficulty producing insulin, which means you have to take injections to keep your blood sugar levels in check. If you have type 2 diabetes, you may need to take insulin injections or oral medications. In some cases, you may benefit from taking a combination of them both.
Monitor Your Blood Sugar Levels
It is important that you monitor your blood sugar levels periodically throughout the day to ensure they don't get too low or too high. This can be done manually using blood samples via a blood glucose monitor or with a medical device that has been implanted into your upper arm that will monitor your glucose continuously.
Eat a Well-Balanced Diet
Individuals who have been diagnosed with diabetes tend to work with a nutritionist to develop a diet that focuses on foods that are more easily processed by their bodies. For instance, as previously mentioned, individuals with diabetes have a harder time processing carbs, so it is a good idea to minimize the amount of carbs that are consumed to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels. In addition, it is important for individuals with diabetes to make healthier diet choices to minimize weight gain and to support their overall health and well-being.
Promote Physical Fitness
When a person with diabetes gains extra weight, it puts him or her at risk for insulin resistance, which is an issue that makes it more difficult to process carbs. For that reason, individuals who have been diagnosed with diabetes should focus on an exercise regimen that will minimize weight gain. Plus, regular physical activity is helpful in preventing diabetes-related complications like heart disease and stroke.
For more information on type 2 diabetes treatment and management options, talk to your doctor.
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