Diabetes is a chronic medical condition that needs lifelong management. When dealing with diabetes, experts like Best General Physician in Lahore recommend making some lifestyle changes, taking medications regularly. And monitoring the blood glucose regularly. Read on to know more about caring for your diabetes:
Daily tasks for diabetics
- Check the blood glucose: keeping a record of the daily blood glucose levels is important for both old and new patients to check how well the medication is working.
- Monitor blood pressure: chronic diabetes damages the vessels. Causes hypertension. Keeping a record of the blood pressure helps primary care physicians in deciding if anti-hypertensive medication should start.
- Exercise: daily exercise is best for diabetics as it helps to keep the blood glucose in normal ranges. It is recommended for diabetics to engage in moderate activity for 150 minutes per week. Brisk walking and cycling are good ways to exercise for diabetics. Around an hour after eating when the blood glucose is higher. If someone is exercising away from home. Keeping a carbohydrate-rich snack is a good idea.
- Take medication: skipping medication is not an option for diabetics. Skipping a dose would mean derangement of the blood glucose. Which is very harmful in the long run.
- Foot examination: ingrown toenails and other infections of the foot are more common in diabetics. Thus, diabetics should keep a check on their foot health, for signs of inflammation, fungal infection, and ingrown toenails. Nails should be clipped every week straight across. Without rounding off of the corners. This prevents the growth of ingrown nails.
- Healthy eating: a balanced diet is a must for everyone, not just diabetics. A healthy diet plan tailored to the needs of someone with type II diabetes can prevent glucose spikes. And even postpone the need for insulin. Additionally, a good diet plan adds adequate carbohydrates. Healthy snacks to every diet to prevent a dip in glucose levels.
Three-monthly tasks
- HbA1C: this investigation checks the glucose control over a period of three months. In addition to the daily glucose chart. HbA1C helps the doctor establish how well the glucose levels controlled. They can adjust or change the medication as need be then.
- Doctor visit: for people with uncontrolled diabetes. Visits to the healthcare provider should be after every three months.
Six-monthly tasks
- Dental exam: diabetics are more likely than other people to have gum problems like gingivitis. Fungal infections of the mouth, and issues like dry mouth. Therefore, they should have six-monthly or more frequent visits to the dentist. They should use a soft-bristled toothbrush and floss every day.
- Doctor visit: for people with controlled blood glucose. No complications. Six-monthly visits to the doctor are enough.
Annual tasks
For yearly tasks, your goal should be to:
- Get flu shot: the annual flu shot is important for everyone. But particularly so for diabetics. The safety of flu shots for diabetics has been established long ago. Diabetics should receive their annual shot before the advent of winter. To avoid influenza infection. Its related complications. Apart from the flu vaccines. Other vaccinations should also update.
- Get kidney tests: diabetics run the risk of diabetic nephropathy. Which is kidney damage induced by uncontrolled diabetes. Therefore, yearly kidney tests—including urine complete exam. Renal function tests. And proteinuria–should don. Check the performance of the kidneys. The leading cause of chronic kidney disease is diabetes. Followed by hypertension. Thus, addressing kidney function is important for diabetics.
- Get eye exam done: diabetics also run the risk of glaucoma. Diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts due to uncontrolled diabetes. To prevent these complications. A yearly eye exam with a dilated pupil should perform by an expert ophthalmologist.
- Get hearing tests: apart from the eye and kidney examinations. Your primary healthcare provider such as Best General Physician in Islamabad would also recommend hearing and ear exams.
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