Tips to Prevent Complications of Diabetes

Here are tips to keep diabetes under control so that complications will rarely occur. This is also an excellent management plan to follow for treatment of diabetes.

Make a commitment to manage your diabetes

Work with your care team to learn all the basics of diabetes care and make the commitment to manage your condition. You must remember that a lot of the treatment of diabetes is self-care.

Keep cholesterol and blood pressure under control

High blood pressure as well as diabetes damage blood vessels. High cholesterol does more damage more rapidly when you have diabetes. Add all of these together and you are on your way to a stroke, a heart attack or some other serious condition.

Stop smoking

If you smoke quit, if you don’t – then don’t start. Smoking increases all risk for diabetes and also for the complications that can come with it. And remember, smokers who are diabetics are 3 times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease.

Schedule physicals yearly as well as regular eye exams

The regular checkups you have with diabetes were not meant to replace your yearly physical nor routine eye exams. Your doctor can check for diabetes complications during your yearly physical. Your eye specialist will look for any type of retinal damage, glaucoma and cataracts at your routine eye exams.

Keep vaccines up to date

Since high blood glucose weakens your immune system, you need to be up to date on all your immunizations and vaccines. Be sure to talk to your doctor about:

• Flu vaccine.
• Pneumonia vaccine
• Tetanus shot – 10 year boosters
• Hepatitis B vaccine

Take care of your teeth

Diabetics are prone to gum problems and other mouth problems. Continue to brush you teeth twice a day and floss daily. And don’t forget your regularly scheduled dental exams.

Don’t forget your feet

Remember diabetes damages the nerves in your feet and the reduced flow of blood causes wounds of any type to slowly heal. You can end up with serious infections. To prevent this:

• Daily wash feet in lukewarm water.
• Check your feet daily for cuts, sores, blisters, swelling or redness.
• Dry feet gently, especially between toes.
• Moisturize your ankles and feet with lotion.
• If you have a sore or other foot problem that is not healing, see your doctor.

Take one aspirin daily

This is good to reduce your blood’s ability to clot. So, this can reduce the risk of stoke or heart disease.

Take stress very seriously

Learn to manage your stress – whether physical, mental or emotional for many reasons. Foremost among them is the fact that stress can prevent insulin from working properly. Learn relaxation techniques and get plenty of sleep.

If you drink alcohol do so responsibly

Alcohol causes low blood sugar. If you drink, do so moderately and always with a meal. And don’t forget the calories.

Watch your diet

Make sure your diet is diabetic friendly as well as healthy for maintaining a good body weight.

Daily exercise

Don’t forget your exercise plan. This helps any medication work better and also helps with weight.

And above all – STAY POSITIVE!!