Prevention and Control In Diabetes

TAKING CONTROL

So much for the bad news. The good news is that the treatment of many complications has been revolutionized in recent times. Fifteen years ago, people thought that diabetes was a virtual sentence of amputation and blindness. Now, complications can be treated, delayed, possibly prevented. The key is early diagnosis, frequent check-ups and constant monitoring - in other words, eternal vigilance - by you and by your health team.

Not everybody with diabetes is bound to suffer any or all these complications. In any case, their severity maybe minimized by:

• Avoiding being overweight_.
• Sticking to a sensible eating plan.
• Taking regular exercise.
• Not smoking.
• Monitoring your own blood glucose levels
• Treating hypertension and high blood fats

Successful diabetes management is sometimes represented as three sides of a triangle -- diet and exercise form two sides of the triangle, with medication sometimes (but not always) making up the third side. Food makes blood glucose levels rise, while injecting insulin makes it fall. So does exercise. So the key to controlling blood glucose levels is achieving a proper balance of food intake, activity and medication.

People with non-insulin dependent diabetes may able able to control their blood glucose levels with diet and exercise alone, without necessarily having to take any medication (tablets, not normally insulin). People with insulin dependent diabetes must take insulin, but diet and exercise are still very important parts of their personal fitness plan.

Back to Diabetic Problem