Facts on Diabetes

1. It's a Metabolic Disorder

Taking the right approach to your diabetes makes all the difference in your ability to stay healthy. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder effecting how our bodies use digested food. Diabetics' bodies cannot regulate insulin, which is the hormone controlling our blood-sugar level. When blood sugar is too high or too low, it can damage our organs. Fortunately, diabetics can control their blood-sugar levels with diet, activity and medication. Approaching diabetes with the right attitude will allow you to control your diabetes and live the life you want. Start by knowing you are not alone in facing diabetes. Next, accept that you have diabetes, but that you can still stay in good health. Learn as much as you can about diabetes so that you can manage your disease. Know all of your treatment options. Keep reasonable expectations of your care and lifestyle. Lastly, surround yourself with lots of supportive people.

2. Gather a Good Diabetes Care Team

Good diabetes care requires a team of good healthcare providers. Besides you, the most important people on your team are a primary care provider, dietician, eye doctor, psychologist and a nurse educator. Your primary care provider will help you develop a treatment plan and manage your diabetes on an ongoing basis, while the other members of the team will provide education and specialized care necessary to prevent complications.

3. Avoid Complications by Managing Your Diabetes

Diabetes complications are separated into short-term complications and long-term complications. The short-term complications to watch for are hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar syndrome. All three of these conditions occur when blood-sugar levels are not monitored often enough. Fight the short-term complications by monitoring often and treating early. This will prevent the long-term complications, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetic eye disease and nerve damage.

4. Know Your Treatment Options

Knowing all your treatment options is important for you to be able to actively manage your diabetes. Treatments for diabetes include diet, exercise, oral medications and insulin. Some people successfully manage their diabetes through diet and exercise. Learning how foods work in your body will allow you to fight the short-term complications. Exercise helps diabetes by controlling weight, reducing bad cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and improving stress levels. Exercise also reduces the need for insulin or drugs. Work with your physician to find the right medications and insulin to keep your blood sugar at healthy levels.

5. Reduce Your Diabetes Costs

Treatment and medical care for diabetes is expensive, but there are several ways to reduce the high costs of care and treatment. Most importantly, maintain your health on a daily basis. Staying healthy is less expensive than being sick. If you manage your diabetes well, you will spend less time in the hospital, have fewer health care fees, require fewer costly treatments, need less medication and miss fewer days of work. Find out which services and products are covered under you insurance. Many health insurance providers and employers now recognize that helping you manage your diabetes costs them less, as well. If you need medical help beyond what your health insurance offers, or if you do not have health insurance, talk to your local health department about support and medical services available in your community.