Guidelines For Diabetes And Weight Management

By | April 13, 2009

Stepwise Approach For Diabetes Management

Gone are the days when diabetes was thought to be incurable. Recent developments in medical science have made the treatment and measures to defeat this disease easily accessible to everyone.

Diabetes mellitus or diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s functionality to metabolize the food. The sugar intake is broken down to from a complex sugar compound to a simple sugar called glucose. This glucose then circulates within the blood and is used by the body cells as fuel. A hormone known as insulin helps the glucose to be moved into the cells. In normal, healthy people, the pancreas controls the insulin level according to the level of glucose present in the blood. The pancreas of a patient suffering from diabetes loses the ability to consume and adjust the sugar level, as a result of which the blood sugar level increases. Continuous stress and tension is reported to be the main cause of this pancreatic defect.

Types of diabetes And Diabetes Management

There are three main and most common types of diabetes

Type 1 diabetes: People suffering with this type are totally unable to produce the insulin hormone. It mostly occurs before the age of 30 but can strike at any age. It can be caused by a genetic disorder and may run in families.

Type 2 diabetes: People suffering with type two diabetes can produce insulin but their body cells are not able to use or respond to it. It usually occurs in adults over the age of 35. It is reported to affect anyone, from adults to children.

Gestational Diabetes: Gestational Diabetes or GD occurs in about four percent of pregnant women. It often happens in the second trimester and is gone after child birth.

In all these cases, the glucose is not able to move into the cells, so blood glucose levels become high. The high glucose levels can cause serious health problems, if not treated properly and in time.

Guidelines For Diabetes Management

  • Diabetes can be avoided by adopting a healthy routine and life style. A stepwise successful approach for diabetes management is described below:
  • Laboratory tests and blood screening is prescribed to know the extent of the infections caused due to diabetes. To avoid diabetes completely, hemoglobin A1C test should be done twice a year to analyze the blood sugar level.
  • The cholesterol level should also be checked on regular basis.
  • If a person is diagnosed to be suffering from type 1 diabetes, diabetic nephropatorhy test should be done every 5 years after diagnosis.
  • For patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, diabetic nephropathy test is done as soon as possible after diagnosis.
  • The type 2 diabetes can be controlled by sequential addition of oral anti-hyperglycemic agents and insulin as prescribed by the doctor according to the test reports of the patient. It helps to reduce macrovascular complications and comorbidities caused due to diabetes.
  • Annual screening for diabetic retinopathy should be performed.
  • Using a diabetic foot annual exam, the foot structure, skin integrity and protective sensation should also be checked annually.
  • Only a limited amount of sugar can be used by the diabetics.
  • Soda drinks should be avoided by patients having very high level of blood sugar.
  • The blood sugar level should be checked on a daily basis to avoid severe complications.
  • Reducing obesity and exercising regularly can also help to control diabetes.