November is National Diabetes Month. This awareness focuses on the person with diabetes and how the healthcare team can tailor care for their specific needs.
One way to better manage diabetes is to reduce the risks associated with diabetes. This means doing behaviors that minimize or prevent something that will harm or otherwise affect your health. Working with your healthcare team to manage diabetes is a positive way to reduce your risks and improve your health.
Research has shown that taking action soon after being diagnosed can help prevent diabetes-related complications. Below, find tips to help reduce your risk of diabetes or, if you’ve already been diagnosed as diabetic, reducing your risk of complications.
Reducing your risk of diabetes:
- Lose extra weight and keep it off
- Move more: be more physically active, or even better, exercise 30 min 5 times a week and include resistance training.
- Eat healthy foods: drink water, avoid sugared drinks, reduce portion sizes and eat fiber (plants like veggies, fruits and whole grains). Start with small changes to create healthy habits.
- Quit smoking and vaping or don’t start! Nicotine can raise blood sugar levels.
- Optimize Vitamin D levels: Adequate levels of Vit D is important. Supplementing may be necessary. Talk to your doctor about your levels.
Reducing your risk of complications if you have diabetes
Following the above five steps is important, along with:
- Schedule regular medical checkups; seeing your provider every 3-6 months as recommended.
- Get screened for sleep apnea; getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night can help improve your mood and energy level.
- Take medications as prescribed; understand why your health care provider is recommending a medication to treat your diabetes.
- Monitor your blood sugar; learn about options that can help with your daily routine and provide the important information needed to make medication adjustments.
- Brush and floss your teeth daily
- Keep vaccines up to date: flu, pneumonia, Hepatitis B
- Check your feet daily; that awareness can prevent any issues you may have.
- Take stress seriously: discuss sadness or distress with your provider
Learn how to better manage your diabetes by making an appointment with a diabetes care and education specialist (DCES). The four critical times to see a DCES are when you are first diagnosed, at least once a year thereafter, if you are having problems that occur that affect your diabetes management, and new treatment or care changes.
Meeting with a DCES allows you to learn more about managing every aspect of diabetes and is specifically tailored to you and your needs. Whether it’s learning more about what foods to eat, what your blood sugar numbers mean, how to take your medications, stress reduction, managing your sleep, or just offering knowledge and support, it’s worth your time to schedule an appointment.
To find out more about scheduling an appointment with St. Tammany Health System’s diabetes team visit StTammany.health/DiabetesED or call (985) 871-5983.