Prevent diabetes problems: Keep your diabetes under control.What are diabetes problems? Too much sugar in the blood for a long time causes diabetes problems. This high blood sugar can damage many parts of the body, such as the heart, blood vessels Blood vessels Tubular channels for blood transport, of which there are three principal types: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Only the larger arteries and veins in the body bear distinct names. , and kidneys kidneys: see urinary system. . Diabetes problems can be scary scar·y adj. scar·i·er, scar·i·est 1. Causing fright or alarm. 2. Easily scared; very timid. scar , but there is a lot you can do to prevent them or slow them down. Will I have diabetes problems? Maybe. You may have one or more diabetes problems or none at all. It is hard to know if or when your diabetes will cause problems. If you have diabetes when you are young, you may not have diabetes problems for many years. If you find out you have diabetes as an adult, you may already have diabetes problems. Either way, keeping your blood sugar under control can prevent diabetes problems. What should my blood sugar numbers be? For most people, good blood sugar levels are On waking (before breakfast) 80 to 120 Before meals 80 to 120 2 hours after meals 180 or less At bedtime 100 to 140 Ask your health care provider what your blood sugar numbers should be and write them here. On waking (before breakfast) -- to -- Before meals -- to -- 2 hours after meals -- or less At bedtime -- to -- You and your health care provider will agree on when to check blood sugar using a blood glucose blood glucose Diabetology The principal sugar produced by the body from food–especially carbohydrates, but also from proteins and fats; glucose is the body's major source of energy, is transported to cells via the circulation and used by cells in the presence meter meter, unit of measure meter, abbr. m, fundamental unit of length in the metric system. The meter was originally defined as 1/10,000,000 of the distance between the equator and either pole; however, the original survey was inaccurate and the meter was later . You will do the tests yourself. Be sure to ask your health care provider to teach you how to use the meter. Keep track of your blood sugar using the record page in this booklet. Make copies or print out the record page from the web site. Or ask your health care provider for a blood sugar record book. Your blood sugar check results will help you and your health care provider make a plan for keeping your blood sugar under control. How can I find out what my average blood sugar is? Ask your health care provider to do a hemoglobin hemoglobin (hē`məglō'bĭn), respiratory protein found in the red blood cells (erythrocytes) of all vertebrates and some invertebrates. A-1-c (HE-moh-glow-bin A-1-c) test. This blood test shows the average amount of sugar in your blood during the past 3 months. Have this test done at least twice a year. Your health care provider uses this test plus your blood glucose meter test results to tell if your blood sugar is under control. Aim for a score of less than 7 percent. If your test result is less than 7 percent, then your blood sugar is in a good range and your diabetes treatment plan is working. You are doing all you can to prevent diabetes problems. A test result of more than 8 percent is too high. At more than 8 percent, you have a greater chance of getting diabetes problems, like kidney damage kidney damage Kidney injury Nephrology A structural or functional compromise in renal function due to external–eg, athletic, occupational, or other trauma, resulting in bruising or hemorrhage, which can be profuse and life threatening Etiology Vascular , and you need a change in your diabetes plan. Your health care provider can help you decide what part of your plan to change. You may need to change your meal plan, your diabetes medicines, or your exercise plan. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What should I do about blood pressure? Normal blood pressure will help prevent damage to your eyes, kidneys, heart, and blood vessels. Blood pressure is written with two numbers separated by a slash. For example: 120/70. The first number should be below 130 and the second number should be below 85. Keep your blood pressure as close to these numbers as you can. If your blood pressure is too high, your doctor might ask you to take a blood pressure medicine called an ACE inhibitor ACE inhibitor (ā'sē'ē`, ās) or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ăn'jēōtĕn`sĭn) (in-HIB-it-ur). This type of blood pressure medicine is best for people with diabetes. What should I know and do about smoking? Do not smoke. Smoking slows down blood flow and can make heart and blood vessel blood vessel n. An elastic tubular channel, such as an artery, a vein, a sinus, or a capillary, through which the blood circulates. blood vessel(s), n the network of muscular tubes that carry blood. problems worse. Smoking can slow blood flow to your feet and legs Feet and Legs See also anatomy; body, human; walking. arthropod any invertebrate of the phylum that includes insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and myriapods with jointed legs. and make sores and infections harder to heal. If you smoke, ask your health care provider for help in quitting. What else can I do to prevent diabetes problems? There are other things that you can do either each day or one or more times a year to prevent diabetes problems. For example, to keep your feet healthy, you should check them each day. To keep your eyes healthy, once a year you should have drops put in your eyes and have them examined. See page 9 for what you can do each day to stay healthy with diabetes. See pages 10 to 13 for other things to check for good diabetes care. Things to check for good diabetes care Taking care of diabetes is a team effort between you and your health care provider team (doctor, diabetes nurse educator A nurse educator is a nurse who teaches and prepares licensed practical nurses (LPN) and registered nurses (RN) for entry into practice positions. Nurse Educators also teach in graduate programs at Master’s and doctoral level which prepare advanced practice nurses, nurse , diabetes dietitian dietitian /di·e·ti·tian/ (di?e-tish´in) one skilled in the use of diet in health and disease. di·e·ti·tian or di·e·ti·cian n. A person specializing in dietetics. educator, pharmacist pharmacist /phar·ma·cist/ (fahr´mah-sist) one who is licensed to prepare and sell or dispense drugs and compounds, and to make up prescriptions. phar·ma·cist n. , and others). You are the most important member of the team. Take charge of your diabetes care by learning what to do for good diabetes care: * Things to do every day for good diabetes care (see page 9). * Things for your health care provider to look at every time you have a checkup check·up n. 1. An examination or inspection. 2. A general physical examination. checkup See Yearly checkup. (see pages 10 and 11). * Things for you or your health care provider to do at least once or twice a year (see pages 12 and 13). Keep a daily record of blood sugar test results. (Make copies of the daily diabetes record page in this booklet.) This information will help you see if you are reaching your blood sugar goals. You can prevent or slow down diabetes problems by reaching your blood sugar goals most of the time. Things to do every day for good diabetes care: Follow the healthy eating plan that you and your doctor or dietitian have worked out. Eat your meals and snacks at around the same times each day. Be active a total of 30 minutes most days. Ask your doctor what activities are best for you. Take your diabetes medicine at the same times each day. Check your blood sugar every day. Each time you check your blood sugar, write the number on your daily diabetes record page. Call your doctor if your numbers are too high or too low for 2 to 3 days. Check your feet every day for cuts, blisters, sores, swelling swelling /swell·ing/ (swel´ing) 1. transient abnormal enlargement of a body part or area not due to cell proliferation. 2. an eminence, or elevation. , redness, or sore sore (sor) 1. popularly, almost any lesion of the skin or mucous membranes. 2. painful. bed sore decubitus ulcer. toenails. Brush and floss (Free, Libre and Open Source Software) See free software and open source. your teeth and gums every day. Don't don't 1. Contraction of do not. 2. Nonstandard Contraction of does not. n. A statement of what should not be done: a list of the dos and don'ts. smoke. Things for your health care provider to look at every time you have a checkup:
Your blood Show your records to your
sugar records health care provider.
Tell your health care provider
if you have low blood sugar
or high blood sugar often
Your weight Ask your health care provider
how much you should weigh.
Talk about ways to reach your
goal that will work for you.
Your blood A good goal for most people
pressure is less than 130/85.
Ask your health care provider
about ways to reach your goal.
Your diabetes Talk to your health care
medicines plan provider about any problems
you have had with your
diabetes medicines.
Your feet Ask your health care provider
to check your feet to
make sure your foot nerves
and your blood circulation
are OK.
Your plan Tell your health care provider
for exercise what you do to stay active.
Your meal Ask questions about what to
plan eat, how much to eat, or when
to eat.
Your feelings Ask your health care provider
(Are you about ways to handle stress.
tense or
depressed?) If you are feeling sad or
unable to cope with problems,
ask about how to get help.
Your smoking If you smoke, quitting may be
very hard to do. But your
health care provider may be
able to help.
Things for you or your health care provider to do at least once or twice a year:
Hemoglobin Have this blood test at least
A-1-c lab test twice a year (see pages 3
and 4). This will tell you what
your average blood sugar level
was for the past 3 months.
Blood lipid Get a blood test to check your
(fats) lab
tests * Cholesterol--aim for less
than 200.
* LDL--aim for less than 130.
* HDL--men should aim
for more than 35; women
should aim for more than 45.
* Triglycerides -- aim for less
than 200.
These test results will help you plan
how to prevent heart attack and stroke.
Kidney lab Ask for tests to check your
tests urine for protein and your
blood for end products of
protein breakdown. The
results will tell you how well
your kidneys are working.
Dilated eye See your eye doctor once a
exam year because a doctor can
detect eye problems before
you notice anything wrong.
Dental exam See your dentist twice a year
for a cleaning and check up.
Flu shot Get a flu shot each year because
the flu in someone with diabetes
can be very serious.
How to use the daily diabetes record page Use copies of the foldout fold·out n. 1. Printing A folded insert or section, as of a cover, whose full size exceeds that of the regular page. 2. A piece or part, as of furniture, that folds out or down from a closed position. record page in this booklet to keep track of blood sugar checks, medicines, and notes about things that affect your blood sugar. Make one copy of the record page for each week. This record will help you see if your diabetes plan is working. Review your record with your health care providers. Blood sugar checks Talk to your health care provider and decide on the best times to check blood sugar. You may be checking blood sugar before meals, after meals, or at bedtime bedtime Sleep disorders The time when one attempts to fall asleep–as distinguished from the time when one gets into bed . Write when to check here: If needed, draw a line in the boxes under "Breakfast," "Lunch," and "Dinner" to make room for blood sugar check results before and after a meal, like this example: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] See page 2 for information about good blood sugar levels. Medicines Under the heading marked "Medicine," write the name of your diabetes medicine and the amount taken. Notes Write down things that affect your blood sugar level. Some examples are * Eating more or less than usual. * Forgetting to take your diabetes medicine. * Exercising (write down what kind and for how long). * Being sick or upset about something (being under stress). * Going to a social event or other special event, or being on vacation VACATION. That period of time between the end of one term and beginning of another. During vacation, rules and orders are made in such cases as are urgent, by a judge at his chambers. . Daily diabetes record page(*) Week starting
Other Breakfast Medicine Lunch
Blood Blood Blood
Sugar Sugar Sugar
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Medicine Dinner Medicine Bedtime
Blood Blood
Sugar Sugar
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Medicine Notes:
(Special events,
sick days, exercise)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
(*) Keep this copy clean. Make photocopies and write on the copies. My health care provider team members:
Name and Address Phone Number
Doctor
Diabetes
Dietitian
Educator
Diabetes
Nurse
Educator
Eye Doctor
Dentist
Foot Doctor
Pharmacist
Counselor
For more information Diabetes Teachers (nurses, dietitians, pharmacists This is a list of notable pharmacists.
To find a diabetes teacher near you, call the American Association American Association refers to one of the following professional baseball leagues:
General
Publicly accessible computer network connecting many smaller networks from around the world. It grew out of a U.S. Defense Department program called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), established in 1969 with connections between computers at the at www.aadenet.org See .org. (networking) org - The top-level domain for organisations or individuals that don't fit any other top-level domain (national, com, edu, or gov). Though many have .org domains, it was never intended to be limited to non-profit organisations. RFC 1591. and click on "Find an Educator." Recognized Diabetes Education Programs (teaching programs approved by the American Diabetes Association The American Diabetes Association, or the ADA, is an American health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association conducts programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, reaching hundreds of ) To find a program near you, call toll-free at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383), or see www.diabetes.org/education/edustate2.asp on the Internet. Dietitians To find a dietitian near you, call the American American, river, 30 mi (48 km) long, rising in N central Calif. in the Sierra Nevada and flowing SW into the Sacramento River at Sacramento. The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill (see Sutter, John Augustus) along the river in 1848 led to the California gold rush of Dietetic dietetic /di·e·tet·ic/ (di?ah-tet´ik) pertaining to diet or proper food. di·e·tet·ic adj. 1. Of or relating to diet. 2. Association's National Center for Nutrition nutrition, study of the materials that nourish an organism and of the manner in which the separate components are used for maintenance, repair, growth, and reproduction. Nutrition is achieved in various ways by different forms of life. and Dietetics dietetics /di·e·tet·ics/ (-iks) the science of diet and nutrition. di·e·tet·ics n. The branch of therapeutics concerned with the practical application of diet in relation to health and disease. toll-free at 1-800-366-1655, or look on the Internet at www.eatright.org and click on "Find a Dietitian." More in the series The "Prevent Diabetes Problems" series includes seven booklets that can help you learn more about how to prevent diabetes problems. For free single copies of these booklets, call, write, fax, or email the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse 1 Information Way Bethesda, MD 20892-3560 Phone: (301) 654-3327 Fax: (301) 907-8906 Email: ndic@info.niddk.nih.gov These booklets are also available under "Health Information" at www.niddk.nih.gov See .gov and GovNet. (networking) gov - The top-level domain for US government bodies. on the Internet. Acknowledgments See About this product. The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse(NDIC) is an information dissemination service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health, which is part of the U.S. thanks the people who helped review or field-test field-test tr.v. field-test·ed, field-test·ing, field-tests To test (a technique or product) under conditions of actual operation or use. Verb 1. this booklet. For American Association of Diabetes Educators Lynn Grieger, R.D., C.D.E. Arlington, VT Celia Levesque, R.N., C.D.E. Montgomery, AL Teresa McMahon, Pharm. D., C.D.E. Seattle, WA Barbara Schreiner, R.N., M.N., C.D.E. Galveston, TX For American Diabetes Association Phyllis Barrier, M.S., R.D., C.D.E. Alexandria, VA Linda Haas, Ph.C., R.N., C.D.E. Seattle, WA Kathleen Mahoney, M.S.N., R.N., C.D.E. Drexel Hill, PA Randi Kington, M.S., R.N., C.S., C.D.E. Hartford, CT Diabetes Research and Training Center Albert Einstein School of Medicine Norwalk Hospital Norwalk, CT Jill Ely, R.N., C.D.E. Sam Engel, M.D. Pam Howard, A.P.R.N., C.D.E. Diabetes Research and Training Center Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, IN Madelyn Wheeler, M.S., R.D., F.A.D.A., C.D.E. Diabetes Research and Training Center VA/JDF Diabetes Research Center Vanderbilt School of Medicine Nashville, TN Ok Chon Allison, M.S.N., R.N.C.S., A.N.P., C.D.E. Barbara Backer, B.S. James W. Pichert, Ph.D. Alvin Powers, M.D. Melissa E. Schweikhart Michael B. Smith Kathleen Wolffe, R.N. Grady Health System Diabetes Clinic Atlanta, GA Ernestine Baker, R.N., F.N.P., C.D.E. Kris Ernst, R.N., C.D.E. Margaret Fowke, R.D., L.D. Kay Mann, R.N., C.D.E. Health Care Financing Administration Baltimore, MD Jan Drass, R.N., C.D.E. Indian Health Service Albuquerque, NM Ruth Bear, R.D., C.D.E. Dorinda Bradley, R.N., C.D.E. Terry Fisher, R.N. Lorraine Valdez, R.N., C.D.E. Indian Health Service Red Lake, MN Charmaine Branchaud, B.S.N., R.N., C.D.E. Medlantic Research Center Washington, DC Resa Levetan, M.D. Texas Diabetes Council Texas Department of Health Austin, TX Luby Garza-Abijaoude, M.S., R.D., L.D. |
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