Dr. C Rao assures that Diabetes is not the end of the road

Diabetes is not the end of the road

Once diagnosed with diabetes, most people need lifelong treatment. However, it is not the end of the road; it is not a death sentence; it is not something that keeps you from living a fulfilling life. One can live like anyone else despite having diabetes but with some adjustments that are beneficial for overall health, not just for diabetes. Self-education and self-care are the best tools to live a normal life with diabetes.  

The first thing you need to do is gather as much information as possible about diabetes. Once you understand everything, it is easy to follow all the treatments and lifestyle adjustments necessary for diabetes care. A word of caution, your information should come from authentic sources like a qualified doctor or websites of internationally reputed diabetes organizations like the Indian Diabetes Association, American Diabetes Association, or Centre for Disease control. Try to learn and know the following:

Eating well – diabetes does not mean you can’t enjoy food, but you may have to consume less food. You need to plan your meals, ensure you buy healthy food, see food labels to avoid too much sugar, be careful of what you eat when you eat and count carbohydrates.

Healthy weight – It is extremely important to keep diabetes under control; you need to set aside some time of your day for exercise. Do at least 150 min of exercise every week; if you can do more, the better. Research shows that even a 5% weight reduction benefits diabetes control. Dedicate some time daily and do some physical activity that you enjoy – cycling, dancing, swimming, walking, whatever it is.

Monitor blood sugar – To keep blood sugar under control, you need to frequently monitor blood sugar levels so that necessary modifications in care can be done.

Preventing complications – Periodically check your eye, kidney, heart, and liver health. In addition, ensure you don’t have cuts and ulcers in your foot. The best way to prevent complications is to control blood sugar.

Keep a schedule – Having diabetes means taking medicines, exercising regularly, undergoing tests regularly and visiting doctors regularly. Therefore, you must keep time for all these activities in your schedule. Plan and act on the plan.

Managing sick days – Sugar is harder to control when you are sick. So have the plan to manage your sick days. Talk to your doctor and know the medicines and other things you need to keep handy for sick days.

Diabetes care kit – Diabetes is not free from emergencies. Keep a diabetes kit with necessary medicines and tools to handle emergencies like the non-availability of medicine, sugar levels going too low, etc. Your doctor can help you make the kit.

Be calm and sleep well – Diabetes and its management can put you under stress and stigma. Be calm, and do some practices that help you keep relaxed. Also, sleep is essential for health.

Many athletes, film stars, politicians and common people excel in life despite diabetes. Diabetes, indeed is not the end of the road. You can not only live a normal life but can excel in life.

References:

CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/index.html
WHO. https://www.who.int/health-topics/diabetes#tab=tab_1
Celebrities with diabetes. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/g4845/celebrities-with-diabetes/

 

(Brand Desk Content)