Living With Diabetes

Living with Diabetes

~ Long-term treatment for Type 1 diabetes involve keeping blood glucose levels steady. This will prevent diabetes complications such as: blindness, nerve damage, organ failure and/or amputation.

~Long-term treatment for Type 2 diabetes involve controlling blood glucose levels. As long as the patient maintain that control, complications are less likely to occur.

Insulin

For Type 1 diabetes:

A person with Type 1 Diabetes must take insulin on a daily basis, usually through self-injections. Depending on symptoms, one may need to take insulin between one and four times a day and vary the amount you take depending on factors like illness, exercise, travel, and eating large or small meals. To make sure you’re getting enough insulin, and regularly test blood glucose levels is a must.

For Type 2 diabetes:

If diet and exercise aren’t enough, a person with type 2 Diabetes may have to take insulin between one and four times per day, and the amount will vary depending on activities. Regularly self-test is also needed to make sure blood glucose levels remain stable.

Diet and Exercise

Exercise: A person with diabetes should get between a half-hour to an hour of physical activity most days of the week. This will help stabilize blood sugar levels. If, between diet and exercise, you can manage to lose some weight, it will aid diabetes treatment tremendously.

Diet: Diet should consists of low in fats, sodium, and sugars, and high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. It is important to pay close attention to the amount and type of carbohydrates eaten because carbs can drastically affect blood sugar.

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