National Diabetes Month
Making sure that diabetes is under control is crucial to someone being able to live a healthy life. Here are some resources to help with managing this disease: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/managing-diabetes
November is National Diabetes Month. The focus of the 2022 awareness month is on managing your diabetes by building your health care team. While almost 37 million people in the United States have some form of diabetes, 1 in 4 people don’t even realize they are walking around with it. This month boosts awareness surrounding the risk factors, symptoms, and the different types of diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease that happens when someone’s blood glucose (blood sugar) is too high. Diabetes can cause damage to the nerves, kidneys, heart, eyes, and is linked to certain types of cancer. Taking out the time to work with a group of health care professionals who provide personal care specific to your needs can help drastically improve your health.
There are numerous things you can do to help build your health care team and manage your diabetes. Some things include:
- You should be the center of your care. Learn everything you can about your diagnosis and talk with your health care provider about getting the correct supports.
- Build your diabetes team. Having a team can tailor your healthcare needs specific to you. Outside of your PCP, your team should include a nutritionist and a certified diabetes educator.
- Manage the diabetes as early as you can. Have a conversation with your doctor, follow the ABCs of diabetes (A1C test, Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol), and create a care plan. Early intervention can prevent complications like vision loss, stroke, and heart disease.
- Take notes and ask questions. Don’t be scared to take notes and ask clarifying questions at appointments to refer back to at a later date. Or you can ask for the medical professional to print out a visit summary for you.
- Make physical movement and eating healthy apart of your daily living. Eating a balanced diet is key to healthy living. You also want to move around30 minutes a day and learn how to manage your stress properly. Also, sleeping for 7 to 8 hours can help boost your mood and help your body reset for the next day.