Diabetes mellitus is a serious disease. It's not a simple disease; it's a disease with hell a lot of complications, affecting from head to toe of your body.
Nowadays, more and more people are diagnosed with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes mellitus. We must create more awareness on how to deal with diabetes, from prevention to management. Here, I want to point up 6 steps that a diabetic patient (especially the newly diagnosed) should take:
1. Get a primary-care doctorSign up with a primary-care doctor who can work with you on regular basis to keep your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels within recommended guidelines.
2. Get educated Find a diabetes educator (perhaps, a trustful pharmacist) in your area to help you learn about the disease. The more you know about the disease, the more you are in control.
3. Exercise Perhaps, this is one of the hardest part. If you do not need to lose weight, 30 minutes per day at most days of the week will be enough. If you need to lose weight, you probably need 1 hour per day at most days of the week. Well, it will be great if you can exercise more than that. Exercise can help in increasing insulin sensitivity, and of course, burn some calories.
4. Take the drugs you need. Well, I should not discuss about what drugs you should take, as it will be decided by your doctor. Most importantly: Take the drugs as directed; and discuss with the doctor if you have difficulty taking the drugs, or if you are taking other drugs/herbal products.
5. Make a plan for regular specialist checkups.Besides blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, you shall never forget eyes, feet, and teeth. As I said, diabetes has lots of complications affecting from your head to toe. You can discuss with your primary care doctor on which specialists to refer to.
6. Involve your friends and family It's quite impossible to make lifestyle modification if everybody that are close to you is doing something else. And also, you need their supports and motivations, to fight with diabetes.
Nowadays, more and more people are diagnosed with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes mellitus. We must create more awareness on how to deal with diabetes, from prevention to management. Here, I want to point up 6 steps that a diabetic patient (especially the newly diagnosed) should take:
Sign up with a primary-care doctor who can work with you on regular basis to keep your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels within recommended guidelines.
Find a diabetes educator (perhaps, a trustful pharmacist) in your area to help you learn about the disease. The more you know about the disease, the more you are in control.
Perhaps, this is one of the hardest part. If you do not need to lose weight, 30 minutes per day at most days of the week will be enough. If you need to lose weight, you probably need 1 hour per day at most days of the week. Well, it will be great if you can exercise more than that. Exercise can help in increasing insulin sensitivity, and of course, burn some calories.
Well, I should not discuss about what drugs you should take, as it will be decided by your doctor. Most importantly: Take the drugs as directed; and discuss with the doctor if you have difficulty taking the drugs, or if you are taking other drugs/herbal products.
5. Make a plan for regular specialist checkups.
Besides blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, you shall never forget eyes, feet, and teeth. As I said, diabetes has lots of complications affecting from your head to toe. You can discuss with your primary care doctor on which specialists to refer to.
It's quite impossible to make lifestyle modification if everybody that are close to you is doing something else. And also, you need their supports and motivations, to fight with diabetes.