Diabetes is a fast-growing health challenge in India and also worldwide. This lifestyle disease is also fast-growing among the youth. The two major forms of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. The number of diabetes cases is increasing day by day.
There are about 36.5 Million with Prediabetes [Source: Https://Www.Nhp.Gov.In/Overview-Of-Diabetes-Burden_Mtl]. The prediabetes period is before your diabetes is diagnosed that shows high blood sugar levels but not relatively high to be called diabetes. Progress from prediabetes to diabetes is unavoidable. But there are many ways to reduce your risk of getting diabetes. There are many lifestyle changes that can help delay or even prevent diabetes. Also, certain lifestyle changes can help to prevent serious long-term health complications of diabetes like nerve damage, eye problem, cardiovascular, and many more.
Diabetes Management
Diabetes can be managed with the help of Glucose Monitoring, required exercise, and a good diet. In addition, you must also take the medication that your doctor would have prescribed. Make these part of your daily routine to manage diabetes of your own or loved ones. Both Type 1 Diabetes &Type 2 Diabetes is diagnosed with high blood sugar levels, but both have different causes and the way they develop. Hence, it is important to know the type of diabetes to begin managing it.
As a caregiver, talk to the person living with diabetes to help them understand the need to make changes. This will help in better lifestyle modification or starting any specific diet plan. Most of the time high blood glucose levels don’t show any symptoms and thus monitoring plays a vital role in diabetes management.
Poor or fluctuating blood sugar levels can lead to serious health complications like nerve damage, heart problems, retinopathy, & foot ulcers.
Recently I attended Living Fully with Diabetes event on Facebook. The live session explained how a continuous glucose monitoring system help monitors glucose levels effectively. Know More about Freestyle Libre and Continuous Glucose Monitoring, Click here.
What I Learned from #LivingFullyWithDiabetes
There are many factors that can cause diabetes-like hereditary, lifestyle, health complications, etc. The major cause of diabetes in modern days that the speakers pointed out were –
- Urban lifestyle
- Easy access to high-calorie food (processed food)
- Early obesity
- Reduced physical activity
- Increased screen time
Fluctuating glucose levels can cause stress and other health complications. Thus, it is important to first know about the changes to make in your lifestyle to manage diabetes. And to make any changes, it’s important to understand the reason behind your glucose level fluctuation.
Here Are Some Ways To Reduce Your Risk Of Getting Diabetes-related complications
Diet
The first step of glucose management is healthy eating. Consult your doctor or dietitian for the best diet for diabetes or prediabetes.
Staying Active
Maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. This will help to lower diabetes risk and control and also manage glucose levels.
Stress Management
Prolonged stress tends to show as a rise in glucose levels. In addition, one can forget to take proper medication or eat on time. Add some sort of activities, practice yoga, or any relaxation techniques in your daily routine to prevent stress. [READ: Self-Care Activities that Help You Reduce Stress]
Proper Glucose Monitoring
We have learned about different factors that may affect glucose levels. Now it’s time to learn – how often you should monitor glucose levels.
With a continuous glucose monitor, one is able to check glucose levels any number of times and anytime during the day without the hassle of a prick. A device such as Freestyle Libre can help you with continuous glucose monitoring.
Regular Medication
Taking your medicines on time and going for regular checkups are recommended. This can help the doctor adjust your dose if needed.
Conclusion
Can You Reduce Your Risk Of Getting Diabetes Complications? The answer is Yes! It is important to take care of your own self by constantly monitoring your blood sugar levels, exercising regularly, and eating a proper diet.
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You have mentioned all the valid points in this post. If one needs to stay away from diabetes complications then he/she has to follow the points you have mentioned.
This is a very informative article. Thanks for the detailed info.
They say once you get Diabetes you are prone to a set of complications. Proper management and monitoring is the key, thanks for sharing about continuous blood glucose monitoring system, as a caregiver myself this is beneficial to know about, will check more details.
Life is not easy for a person with diabetes. They are always at a risk of getting complications even if they follow a proper diet and exercise. Continuous glucose monitoring can help in keeping an eye on the glucose levels and thus making required changes in diet and exercise and even medications.