Though there is no permanent cure for diabetes, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can avoid all its acute and chronic complications. Following are few tips that can help you manage diabetes.
Exercise: Any physical activity like brisk walking, swimming, cycling, etc., for at least 30-60 minutes a day, 5 days a week is recommended for diabetics.
Control diet: Diet control is very important for diabetics. By taking nutritious and balanced diet, you can manage your sugar levels. Include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, low fat dairy products, calorie free diet drinks in your diet. Some of the diets that are recommended are Pritikin diet, GI diet, Low carb diet, High Fibre diet and Vegan diet.
Quit smoking and drinking: Smoking increases the risk of diabetes related heart diseases, strokes, kidney problems and erectile disorder. Together (smoking and diabetes), they may damage your heart, raise your blood pressure and cholesterol. For smokers, it is difficult to control diabetes because insulin resistance increases by smoking.
Similarly, alcohol also shows negative impact on diabetic patients. Moderate alcohol consumption increases blood glucose, while excess consumption decreases blood sugar to dangerous levels.
Take regular medication: Along with good diet, proper medication is important. Depending on your condition, your doctor will advise you to take either oral medications or insulin. Take them regularly without fail as recommended.
Avoid stress: Chronic (pro-longed) stress stimulates the release of stress hormones which in turn prevent insulin from working properly. This makes a diabetic's condition even worse. So, better stay out of it and also have plenty of sleep.
Take additional care: People with diabetes are supposed to keep track of their blood sugar levels in order to save themselves from further complications.
- As the eyes are more susceptible to infections during diabetes, have your eyes examined once in a year.
- Similarly, once in a year, take urine test for albumin check (a protein which leaks out of the kidneys due to their dysfunction). This indicates damage related to the kidneys due to diabetes.
- Due to the poor circulation of blood to the extremities of the body, your feet may suffer from different skin infections, sores, blisters, etc. It is better to consult doctor even if they look small.
- Teeth and gums are also prone to infection in diabetic patients, so take extra care to protect them.
Diabetes is not fatal. But when the symptoms are overlooked in the initial stages, it may lead to serious complications. Therefore, to avoid any such problems, one should be health conscious. So, make sure you are taking enough care to protect yourself from this disease.
Health section at Living Smartly website offers informative articles on health and wellness. It provides health tips and interesting facts on healthcare.
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