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While diabetes is a chronic illness that cannot be cured, it can be controlled and handled through treatment.
There are various tests available to monitor and manage your blood sugar effectively, regardless of whether you have prediabetes, diabetes, or have recently been diagnosed.
Whether you've had diabetes for years or just received a diagnosis, there are many tools and considerations to better manage your condition every day. See below to understand more on this.
Controlling diabetes involves more than simply adhering to a treatment regimen; modifying one's lifestyle can also be beneficial. See below for our suggestions.
When diabetes is not properly controlled, blood sugar levels can remain too high. Over time this can have serious consequences for various organs:
The best way to reduce the risk of complications and improve life expectancy is to achieve and maintain optimal blood sugar levels as soon as possible once your treatment begins. In addition to taking your medications regularly, improving certain lifestyle habits can also help stabilize your blood sugar levels.
Foot care is an important aspect of diabetes, one that is often overlooked. Did you know that 70% of lower limb amputations in Canada are due to diabetes?
Over time, diabetes can damage nerves, especially those in the legs and feet. This is known as diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy can cause various symptoms:
Since diabetic neuropathy leads to a partial or total loss of sensitivity, especially in the feet, diabetics tend not to perceive pain, temperature variations, and wounds as well as other people. This means that cuts and sores may go unnoticed.
Blood circulation may also be less efficient in those with diabetes, which can impede healing. As a result, small wounds can quickly become infected and difficult to treat.
Since feet are particularly susceptible to small cuts and sores, which can go unnoticed in people suffering from neuropathy, and given that diabetes slows the healing process, it is all the more important to pay special attention to your feet if you are diabetic!
Measuring blood glucose levels is a simple process: by obtaining a drop of blood from your finger and placing it on a reactive test strip, the result can be seen within seconds on the device’s screen. Some individuals must test multiple times a day, while others only need to do so a few times per week.
The purpose of these tests is to ensure that your blood glucose levels remain within the desired range, avoiding hyperglycemia (excessively high glucose levels) or hypoglycemia (excessively low glucose levels). Consult your healthcare provider to determine the exact blood glucose targets required for your diabetes management.
Keeping a close eye on your glycemia levels can:
Diabetes is a persistent illness that arises when the body either cannot generate enough insulin to meet its needs or when cells do not react correctly to the insulin produced. Insulin is an essential hormone that provides cells with the necessary glucose (or sugar) for fuel. When the body lacks sufficient insulin, the concentration of glucose in the blood, known as glycemia, increases.
In the short and long term, having excessive glucose in the bloodstream can cause damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and circulatory system (heart and blood vessels). This eventually leads to the medical complications typically associated with diabetes.
Under normal circumstances, the body constantly produces insulin, which regulates blood glucose levels and keeps them within a healthy range (4 to 6 mmol/L). If the pancreas does not function properly or if the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces, blood glucose levels increase beyond normal levels (known as hyperglycemia), and diabetes develops.
