Dr. N Porchelvi talks about Diabetes management

How to manage diabetes

Keeping your blood sugar levels within the range as recommended by your doctor can be challenging. That's because many things make your blood sugar levels change, sometimes unexpectedly. Healthy diet, regular physical activity and medications are the three most important aspects of diabetes management. Healthy eating is a cornerstone of healthy living — with or without diabetes. But if you have diabetes, you need to know how foods affect your blood sugar levels. It's not only the type of food you eat, but also how much you eat and the combinations of food types you eat. A key to many diabetes management plans is learning how to count carbohydrates. Learn what portion size is appropriate for each food type. Simplify your meal planning by writing down portions for foods you eat often. As much as possible, plan for every meal to have a good mix of starches, fruits and vegetables, proteins, and fats. Physical activity is another important part of your diabetes management plan. When you exercise, your muscles use sugar (glucose) for energy. Regular physical activity also helps your body use insulin more efficiently. Ask your doctor about what type of exercise is appropriate for you. In general, most adults should get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity. Aim for about 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a day on most days of the week. Insulin and other diabetes medications are designed to lower your blood sugar levels when diet and exercise alone aren't sufficient for managing diabetes. But the effectiveness of these medications depends on the timing and size of the dose. Medications you take for conditions other than diabetes also can affect your blood sugar levels. Store insulin properly. Insulin that's improperly stored or past its expiration date may not be effective. Insulin is especially sensitive to extremes in temperature. Report problems to your doctor. If your diabetes medications cause your blood sugar level to drop too low or if it's consistently too high, the dosage or timing may need to be adjusted. Coordinate your meals and medications. Too little food in proportion to your diabetes medications — especially insulin — may result in dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Too much food may cause your blood sugar level to climb too high (hyperglycemia). Talk to your diabetes health care team about how to best coordinate meal and medication schedules. The more you know about factors that influence your blood sugar level, the more you can anticipate fluctuations — and plan accordingly. If you're having trouble keeping your blood sugar level in your target range, ask your diabetes health care team for help.

 

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