Article by Barbara Kasey Smith’s Corner of the World
I’m a Type 2 Diabetic and I’m constantly searching for information that I feel will shed some additional light on my knowledge of this disease. If you’re not already aware, diabetes doubles a person’s risk of heart disease and also of having a stroke. This disease can cause kidney failure, blindness, and also non-related foot and leg amputations. I’d like to share something with you, it took a couple of years for me to be diagnosed with diabetes and I kept telling the doctors my mouth was numb around my lips and I was having trouble swallowing.
I knew something was definitely wrong with me because I was so tired I could hardly walk, I suffered severe sweating spells every day, frequent urination and I was so sleepy most of the time that I could not function properly. The doctor did the appropriate things, and did numerous types of diabetes checks before I was actually diagnosed with the disease.
It took a while for me to adjust to the medicine and to feel like a living human being once again. If you’re suffering any of these symptoms, seek a doctor’s advice. There are other problems I’ve had since being diagnosed with diabetes, and they include dizziness, fatigue, blurred vision (this happens when my sugar is not regulated), burning of feet, and if my blood sugar drops too low, I’ll start trembling uncontrollably until I get my sugar under control.
I’ve found this disease is not one that can be ignored but a diabetic must work on making their illness less damaging to their bodies and find some definite guidelines to follow to improve their disease. Diabetes is controllable when a person takes the initiative to improve how to manage and to control it in their lives.
I like to read any health articles that I find available to keep myself updated about diabetes. This is an article that I read in 2013 in Health Smart (Advice from Doctors – The Doctors at usaweekend.com) which was in the News & Messenger Serving Prince William County, Manassas & Manassas Park, Virginia, that I kept to read periodically to assist me when I need reminders.
Here are some tips in the article that I believe will help diabetics prevent or delay complications from diabetes:
(1) Watch blood pressure and cholesterol: Blood sugar levels should be checked regularly on a daily basis, along with blood pressure (BP) checks. Did you know that high BP can damage blood vessels; and, if the person has high cholesterol, it can lead to a heart attack or stroke? It’s wise to keep BP below 130/80; and cholesterol, the goal is less than 100 for “bad” LDL, above 140 for “good” HDL.
(2) Taking care of your disease: I found with diabetes, it’s taking life a day at a time and there are things I have to commit to on a daily basis. It’s important to get yourself on a proper diet and a regular schedule; maintain a healthy weight; monitor glucose levels often; and never miss taking what daily medication the doctor has prescribed.
(3) Get annual eye exams: Regular checkups can keep minor problems from turning major, or of catching serious eye problems early to prevent further problems; It’s known that diabetes increases risk of cataracts and glaucoma; it damages blood vessels of the retina.
(4) Check lower extremities daily: Did you know more than half of the people who have diabetes have some form of nerve damage and this can cause loss of sensation in the feet…you might never feel a blister or a small sore and a check will catch this? When people continually have high blood sugar, it injures blood vessels; when you have poor circulation, sores and blisters cannot heal and people’s feet can become infected. When people suffer from untreated infections may lead to amputations. Report any type of damage to your feet to your doctor immediately.
Source of Tips: Health Smart Article as stated above
Article by Barbara Kasey Smith – Copyright 2013 – Use by Permission Only.