Newly diagnosed and feeling overwhelmed? Check out these helpful ideas for staying positive as you learn to manage your diabetes care.
By Hope Warshaw, RD, CDE
1. Keep in Mind: You're Among Millions
Today, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), 29 million Americans live with diabetes. Around the world,
according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the number hovers in
excess of 380 million people with diabetes, with an expected rise to a
half-billion by 2030. So you are hardly alone!
And with millions of people dealing with diabetes and more
health experts searching for ways to improve care, diabetes is constantly in
the news. Read reliable sources for accurate, science-based information, and be
cautious of false promises, quick fixes, and magic potions that advertise
“diabetes cures.”
2. Celebrate the Robust Amount of Diabetes Research
Two realities fuel the flames of interest in and funding for
diabetes research: the epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes, and the
increase in people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. For-profit businesses and
nonprofit diabetes-related associations are working at breakneck speed to get
the latest and greatest developments to market. This includes both finding
cures in the distant future and zeroing in on new treatments and technologies
just around the corner.
Promising technologies -- including making glucose monitoring
and tracking easier and quicker and insulin-delivery devices simpler to use and
carry -- are not far off. More new medications to lower and control blood sugar
and delay the complications of diabetes are being developed than ever before.
These new medications are aiming for less-frequent dosing, minimizing hypoglycemia
(low blood sugar), and assisting with weight loss rather than causing weight
gain.
3. Make Small Changes for BIG Rewards
There is no need to hit the pavement running or go on a rigid,
unattainable diet to manage your diabetes. Research shows that a key to
controlling type 2 diabetes in the early stages is to lose 10-20 pounds (5-7
percent of your body weight) and keeping those pounds at bay for years to come.
In fact, losing just a few pounds, eating healthier, and walking a few times a
week can cause blood sugar to plummet if you've caught type 2 early enough.
Losing a few pounds can also lower blood pressure, improve blood lipids
(cholesterol), and help a host of other health problems, such as sleep apnea.
Weight loss after years of having type 2 diabetes might not be as impactful on
your glucose levels, but healthy eating and exercise are always important for
your health.
Realize that changing your lifelong eating and lifestyle habits
takes time and effort. Set a few easy-to-accomplish goals to start. Experience
success, then set a few other goals. Over time, you'll be amazed by the changes
you've made. Keep in mind: success breeds success.
4. Partner with Your Provider
Diabetes is a 24/7/365 disease that requires continual treatment
adjustments over the years. While you need to stay in the driver's seat for
your day-to-day management, you'll want a health care provider who will work
side by side with you as a partner in your efforts. Your provider should
constantly strive to help you fine-tune your treatment to achieve your blood
sugar, cholesterol, and blood-pressure goals. Search out a knowledgeable and
up-to-date provider, one who knows and uses new medications, technologies, and
behavior-change strategies. Make sure your provider knows the American Diabetes
Association Standards of Care and orders the tests and checks you need to
prevent or detect diabetes complications.
5. Find a Diabetes Educator
Why do you need to work with a diabetes educator? Diabetes
educators can help you learn about diabetes, and specifically about your
diabetes. They can help you set goals for behavior change, understand the
meaning of your blood sugar results, and advocate for you with your other
providers. Maybe most important of all, your diabetes educator can serve as
your cheerleader or shoulder to cry on.
The most common place to find a diabetes educator or a diabetes
education program is in hospital-based programs or in your primary care
provider’s practice. Be on the lookout. More diabetes educators and programs
are also cropping up in novel locations, such as pharmacies, supermarkets, food
banks, and even online, where services may offer coaching or coaching coupled
with a full diabetes education program.
Ask your provider for a referral for diabetes education.
Medicare Part B and private health insurance plans generally cover diabetes
education, also known as diabetes self-management education and support.
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