How to Manage Diabetes: Expert Tips To Lower Your Blood Sugar and Improve Your Lifestyle

Among the numerous diseases that have entrenched the modern human populations is diabetes. Over 30 million people in India alone are now diagnosed with diabetes, and this modern ‘epidemic’ is only spreading due to the rapid urbanization and the rapid lifestyle changes. There are many reasons for the increase in the spread of diabetes, such as rapid urbanization, the switch to less physically-demanding jobs, and coupled with this, the way people commute and the food they consume has altered drastically. Tips For Diabetes Prevention: 8 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Diabetes Risk.

Diabetes mellitus (DM), colloquially referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorders in which there are high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period. There has been a long-lasting debate on whether diabetes is genetic or acquired. It is considered that genetic factors to make people more vulnerable to the disease and the risk factor increases. Can diabetes be reversed? Expert speaks.

Diabetes, however, occurs due to a complex interaction between genes, the environment and the lifestyle habits. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease which causes the body’s immune system to attack the healthy cells. While type 2 diabetes is caused by several factors, including lifestyle and genes. It can be said that both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are partially heredity which means people with a family history are more likely to develop diabetes. Interesting Facts about the Human Heart That You Didn't Know Of.

Expert Dr Rajesh Murthy, Consultant Diabetologist, Eldricare, gives a few tips to help manage diabetes.

Early screening and diagnosis is the first step

The main aim of diabetes management is preventing long-term organ-related complications for which early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes is the first step. Diabetes leads to serious complications like heart diseases, stroke and even kidney failure, it is important to take precautions at an early stage.

The need for detection of diabetes is to educate patients about the disease and give them the authority to manage it. The early onset of Type 1 diabetes is more dramatic and demands medical care at the earliest. But it is essential to have proper screening and diagnosis to differentiate Diabetes type1 and type 2. Recently, a patient was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 30. Type 1 diabetes, earlier referred to as ‘juvenile diabetes’, was later called inaccurate since anyone of any age could be diagnosed with this. A few symptoms that can be observed in a Type 1 diabetes patient include thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, unintended weight loss, fatigue and blurred vision. Type 2 diabetes happens largely due to genetic, environmental factors and also due to excessive weight and inactivity. How to Control Diabetes with Food: Five Food Items to Include in Your Diet to Lower Blood Sugar.

An early detection of diabetes has significant medical advantages; it can reduce the risk of serious complications like a heart attack at a young age, stroke, amputations and organ failures. Diabetes is a deceptive disease in nature since it shows no signs or symptoms for a very long time. With the rapidly-changing environmental conditions and the adoption of sedentary lifestyles by most people, diabetes is no longer a disease only of the elders; children and millennials are also now prone to Type 2 diabetes.

Plan of action

Along with the early detection and diagnosis, emphasis should be placed on using appropriate diagnostic criteria. The treatment recommended for patients should not only consider lowering the blood-glucose levels, but also should focus on correcting any associated CVD risk factors such as smoking, hyperlipidemias, obesity, monitoring of blood pressure and treatment of hypertension. A proper management of diabetes requires teamwork. The doctors and the follow-up care provider should work closely with the diabetic and explain to the individual the self-care strategy. Education and information on diabetes should also be passed on to family members as it is the cornerstone of management. Without appropriate education and knowledge, the desired therapy targets are difficult to achieve. People with diabetes should be encouraged and enabled to proactively participate in managing and monitoring their condition which will help in improving the quality and safety of therapy.

It is understood that the necessary lifestyle changes do not occur overnight, but they should be slowly and steadily inculcated in our daily routine. Picking healthier alternatives, consistently increasing physical activities, proper sleep is a few of the necessary doable changes that need to be adopted by a diabetic. Record keeping is needed and should be considered a basic requirement for the management and follow-up in all cases.

Managing the range of the blood-sugar levels recommended by the doctor can be challenging as there are various factors that affect the blood-sugar levels. Healthy eating is a part of healthy living and it plays an important role in a diabetic as various foods affect blood-sugar levels. It's not only the type of food you eat, but also the quantity and the combinations of foods that are consumed is also important. It is also important to follow a proper exercise regimen for better glucose control, thus decreasing the danger of cardiovascular illnesses because the working muscles use more glucose than those that are resting, which reduces the blood-sugar levels. It is also vital to control the stress levels as hormones produced during stress, namely cortisol, may cause a rise in the blood sugar levels. In people with diabetes, the fight-or-flight response does not work well as it is not always possible for the insulin to let the extra energy into the cells, so glucose piles up in the blood and leads to bigger complications needing immediate hospitalization.

A diabetic should traditionally follow the advice of the doctors and get the necessary tests done as and when advised by the doctor.

Conclusion

In a country like India, diabetes should be given the utmost priority given the alarming rate of ignorance among Diabetics could lead to serious complications in future. Diabetes management requires planning, intervention, monitoring and evaluation of care, to properly facilitate, monitor the health statics. People should be educated as well as made aware of the disease and Diabetes is not just a one-time visit to the doctor, but has to be properly managed.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 28, 2018 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).