Becoming Familiar with
Diabetes Management
I just
found out that I have diabetes, what do I do?
First
and foremost, as with any diagnosis, it is extremely important to be under the care of a healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider is able to help and guide
you as you learn about your diagnosis and what to do next. It may be a very overwhelming time following a new diagnosis, but numerous resources are readily available to help you learn about the care,
management, and treatment of diabetes. Many of those resources may be found in
this post. As you learn about your diagnosis, be sure to note your questions and concerns. Doing so will help you remember to talk about them with your healthcare provider.
Forms of Diabetes
Management
What does
diabetes management consist of?
Though
the most commonly discussed diabetes management and treatment solutions are
insulin, medications, and blood glucose testing, exercise therapy and dietary
therapy are also extremely important. Ideally, a combination of those listed would
be used, with the supervision of your healthcare provider.
Insulin Therapy
What is
insulin? What is insulin therapy?
Insulin
is “a naturally occurring hormone secreted by the pancreas.” (ADA) As I
discussed in my first post, insulin is critical to regulating blood glucose
levels. Without any or enough insulin, the body could suffer severe health
problems due to build up of glucose in the blood.
Insulin
therapy is utilizing insulin as a medication to help regulate blood glucose
levels.
This
link provides the “Insulin Basics” by the American Diabetes Association:
Do I need
insulin to help manage my diabetes?
Keep a log of questions and concerns about insulin to discuss with your healthcare provider. Some people start with medication in the pill form
initially, but move to insulin later on. Others take both, using the pills
as an aid for the injectable insulin. Your healthcare provider will
help determine which method and type will be right for you.
Is all
insulin the same?
No,
there are many different types of insulin. Some last longer than others and
peak at different times. They also vary according to strength and price. The three different methods of insulin delivery are injectable insulin, pens, and pumps.
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How is insulin delivered to the body?
The three methods of insulin delivery are injectable insulin, pens, and pumps.
Two
of the most important factors to consider when administering insulin include
injection site and timing. The body’s best response will result from injecting
the insulin into the same body area, but not the same spot each time. There are
several acceptable injection sites including the abdomen, the arm, the thigh,
and the buttocks. Most people start out with two shots per day. At this rate,
the insulin would be best processed if received at the same two times everyday
and in the same injection site at those times.
Depending on which type of insulin you use, effectiveness is greatest when delivered anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes before your meal. This description of how to administer insulin is just a brief overview and may vary greatly from person to person depending on their needs and their healthcare provider’s recommendations.
This
videoclip presents step-by-step instructions on how to inject insulin.
Blood Glucose Testing
What is
blood glucose and what is the test?
Your
blood glucose level is “the amount of glucose in a given amount of blood.”
(ADA) Blood glucose testing is done to monitor sugar levels in the blood. Consult your
healthcare provider to find out whether it may be necessary
or beneficial for you.
How do I
perform the test?
To
perform the blood glucose test, you will need a blood glucose monitor. These
are usually available for purchase at your local pharmacy.
This video talks more about blood glucose monitors.
As
listed by the American Diabetes Association, the steps to performing a blood
glucose test are as follows:
1. After washing your hands, insert a
test strip into your meter.
2. Use your lancing device on the
side of your fingertip to get a drop of blood.
3. Touch and hold the edge of the test
strip to the drop of blood, and wait
for the result.
4. Your blood glucose level will
appear on the meter's display.
(ADA)
Helpful
tips:
1. The method of testing can
cause sore spots. If you test on your finger, use the side near the fingernail.
2. Sometimes, you may use
the fleshy portion of your hand, thigh, or forearm instead of the finger.
This video is a step-by-step instruction on blood glucose testing.
After
taking your blood glucose level, always remember to write it down so you are able to watch
for patterns in number variation that may depend on factors such as: diet,
exercise habits, stress, and more. These results can be discussed with your
healthcare provider when reviewing your management tools and habits.
These
links may be used as tools in personal diabetes management and blood glucose
tracking:
Printable
blood glucose log
Exercise and Dietary
Therapy
In
addition to the regular benefits of exercise, keeping a regular workout or physical
activity routine will help your cells become more sensitive to insulin. This
will result in an increase in your body’s ability to use insulin more
effectively. While you exercise, your body also works to remove glucose from
your blood, which is what diabetes medication works to do. By keeping up a habit
of regular physical activity and exercise, you will help your body’s glucose
and insulin responses to work more effectively. (ADA)
Dietary
therapy for diabetes, or any other condition is referred to as Medical
Nutrition Therapy (MNT). When it comes to eating well for diabetes management,
a regular schedule or routine is once again, very important. Even breaking up your food intake throughout the day with healthy meals will aid your blood
glucose levels in remaining more stable. It is suggested by the American
Diabetes Association, that an individual MNT plan should be set up with a
registered dietician that is familiar with diabetic MNT plans. Each individual
will have different needs than the next, but the overall goals of each plan are
similar.
This link will provide access to the book: http://www.shopdiabetes.org/1095-American-Diabetes-Association-Guide-to-Nutrition-Therapy-for-Diabetes-2nd-Edition.aspx
Complementary and
Alternative Treatments
What is
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)?
Complementary
and Alternative Medicine is broken up into two categories: Complementary
medicine and Alternative medicine.
Complementary medicine is made up of
practices or herbal remedies used to treat disease or ailments in combination with Western, allopathic medicine.
Alternative medicine is made up of practices
and herbal remedies used instead of Western, allopathic medicine. They are
alternate forms of treatment.
Different forms of CAM
for Diabetes
Maintain an open, ongoing discussion with your healthcare provider about different CAM therapies. Once again, remember to write your questions down as you continue to learn about and monitor your condition. Some of these therapies may or may not help,
but others may have negative reactions. Please talk to your doctor first, as I
am not a healthcare provider.
1. Magnesium
2. Chromium
3. Ginseng
4. Vanadium
This
link may be used to read more about some of the CAM mentioned.
Resources:
National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Clearing House 1-888-644-6226,
http://nccam.nih.gov
Access to a free monitor may
be found on this website:
Online Resources:
Recursos para diabetes en
español:
“Como usar o medidor de glicose
FreeStyle Lite”
“Diabetes: aprenda a aplicar insulin”
Sources:
ACCU-CHEK,
https://www.accu-chek.com/index.html
American
Family Physician, http://www.aafp.org/afp/1999/0801/p649.html
