Pop quiz – is your diabetes under control?

Every single day, diabetes needs to be kept under control. This means doing what it takes to monitor and manage your blood sugar levels to keep the disease from getting worse.  Failing to do so can lead to serious complications related to poor blood glucose control such as developing neuropathy, kidney damage, heart disease, vision problems, and serious skin infections.

Diabetes complications are preventable but it requires a genuine commitment on anyone who has this disease to make lifestyle changes necessary to lower blood glucose levels as close to “normal” as possible. 

Let’s find out if you are doing what it takes to effectively manage your blood glucose by taking this pop quiz:

1.  I follow a diabetes food plan:

·      Everyday

·      Some days

·      I don’t have a food plan

Answer – If you answered “everyday,” good for you.  A healthy diet and regular exercise are the cornerstones to maintaining good blood sugar levels and controlling type 2 diabetes.  If you don’t have a diabetes food plan, ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietitian who specializes in creating these food plans.  It’ll be the smartest investment in your health you’ll make.  Having a well-designed food plan can do wonders for helping make the connection between what and how much you eat and how that directly impacts blood glucose.

2.  I check my feet for cuts and sores:

·      Daily

·      Sometimes

·      When my doctor reminds me

Answer – Every day, inspect your feet.  Take a mirror to view the bottoms of your feet including in-between the toes, looking for anything abnormal.  Chronically elevated blood sugars can damage the nerves, including those in your feet, which can make it hard to feel pain.  Diabetes can also damage circulation to your feet, which can make it harder for sores to heal.  To prevent foot problems, check your feet every day for cuts, blisters, red spots, and swelling.  Take care of your nails and skin and wear shoes that fit properly.

3.   I exercise:

·      Regularly, checking my blood sugar before and after

·      Rarely or not at all

Answer – Hopefully you answered regularly.  Regular, consistent exercise helps maintain blood sugar levels and keeps you fit. Aim for at least 30 or more minutes of activity on most days of the week.  Before changing you level of routine physical activity, check with your doctor making sure you are ready to begin an exercise regimen.  Exercise not only helps burn excess calories contributing to achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight, but it also helps the body use up excess blood sugar which results in a lowered blood glucose reading.

4.  I check my blood sugar levels:

·      According to my doctor’s instructions

·      When it’s convenient

·      I rarely remember

Answer – Be sure to know the frequency and time(s) of day your doctor recommends to be checking your blood sugar.  If you don’t take any blood glucose readings, you’ll have no idea what your blood sugar is doing.  Monitoring blood glucose is crucial in being able to keep an eye on what range it is in.  Consistently high blood sugar can make you feel thirsty and tired, cause blurry vision, or make you urinate more often.  Low blood sugar can make you feel weak, tired, shaky, break out in a sweat or even confused.