Diabetes care is a lifelong responsibility. Consider 8 strategies to prevent diabetes complications.
Diabetes is a serious disease. Following your diabetes treatment plan takes round-the-clock commitment. But your efforts are worthwhile. Careful diabetes care can reduce your risk of serious — even life-threatening — complications.
Here are 8 ways to take an active role in diabetes care and enjoy a healthier future.
1. Make a commitment to managing your diabetes
Members of your diabetes care team — doctor or primary care provider, diabetes nurse educator, and dietitian, for example — can help you learn the basics of diabetes care and offer support along the way. But it’s up to you to manage your condition.
Learn all you can about diabetes. Make healthy eating and physical activity part of your daily routine. Maintain a healthy weight.
Monitor your blood sugar, and follow your doctor’s instructions for managing your blood sugar level. Take your medications as directed by your doctor. Ask your diabetes treatment team for help when you need it.
2. Don’t smoke
3. Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control
Eating a healthy, reduced-fat diet and exercising regularly can go a long way toward controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol. Your doctor may also recommend taking prescription medication, if necessary.
4. Schedule regular physicals and eye exams
Schedule two to four diabetes checkups a year, in addition to your yearly physical and routine eye exams.
5. Take care of your teeth
6. Pay attention to your feet
High blood sugar can reduce blood flow and damage the nerves in your feet. Left untreated, cuts and blisters can lead to serious infections. Diabetes can lead to pain, tingling or loss of sensation in your feet.
To prevent foot problems:
Wash your feet daily in lukewarm water. Avoid soaking your feet, as this can lead to dry skin.
Dry your feet gently, especially between the toes.
Moisturize your feet and ankles with lotion or petroleum jelly. Do not put oils or creams between your toes — the extra moisture can lead to infection.
Check your feet daily for calluses, blisters, sores, redness or swelling.
Consult your doctor if you have a sore or other foot problem that doesn’t start to heal within a few days. If you have a foot ulcer — an open sore — see your doctor right away.
Don’t go barefoot, indoors or outdoors.
7. Consider a daily aspirin
If you have diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking or high blood pressure, your doctor may recommend taking a low dose of aspirin every day to help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. If you don’t have additional cardiovascular risk factors, the risk of bleeding from aspirin use likely outweighs any benefits of aspirin use. Ask your doctor whether daily aspirin therapy is appropriate for you, including which strength of aspirin would be best.
8. Take stress seriously
If you’re stressed, it’s easy to neglect your usual diabetes care routine. To manage your stress, set limits. Prioritize your tasks. Learn relaxation techniques.
Get plenty of sleep. And above all, stay positive. Diabetes care is within your control. If you’re willing to do your part, diabetes won’t stand in the way of an active, healthy life
