Diabetes Treatment

To avoid long-term complications of diabetes, it is essential to remain healthy by controlling blood sugar. Some people can successfully sustain their blood sugar level at desired levels with diet and exercise. Others may need insulin and some medications.

For type 2 diabetes, blood sugar can be controlled with a single medication that proves effective and sometimes combination of few medicines is necessary.

There are four ways to treat diabetes. The first priority treatment for diabetes patients is undoubtedly exercise and healthy diet. Secondly, alternative medications also aid in the treatment for diabetes, and third, please do follow the doctor’s treatment and prescription religiously, and last, people whose kidneys are failing or who aren’t responding to other treatments, pancreas or islet cell transplantation may be an option.

Goals for diabetes treatment:

A typical target for younger adults range might be 80 to 120mg/dl before meals, and below 180mg/dl. They will not suffer from any complications of diabetes then. For older adults, it can be more dangerous than in younger people because blood sugar levels fall too low. Their fasting target goal should be 100 to 140 mg/dL and below 200 mg/dL after meals. The type of sugar you have depends on how often you test your blood sugar. Test your blood sugar at least thrice a day. If you have type 2 diabetes don’t use insulin. You may need to test your blood sugar level only once a day or as little as twice a week.

Factors that affect your blood sugar include:

Food habits can raise your blood sugar level. What and how much you eat, and the time of the day, also affect your blood sugar level immensely. Physical activity is important to lower your blood sugar level. Physical activity causes sugar to be transported to your cells, where it is used for energy. By doing small works like gardening, house work and even taking a small walk can lower your blood sugar level by quite a margin. Medications like insulin and oral diabetes medications help to lower your blood sugar. Illness due to physical stress of cold or others may also secrete hormones that raise your blood sugar level. When you’re sick check your glucose level frequently. Alcohol happens to raise your blood sugar level at times as they count as calories in your diet.

Food choices:

Foodstuffs containing low glycemic carbohydrates, proteins or fats can initially help to lose body weight and maintain dancing blood sugar level. Prefer healthy foods which are low in fats and calories such as lean fish, lean chicken, turkey and fruits and vegetables. Go slow on fast and fried foodstuffs for prevention of diabetes. Avoid processed carbohydrates as much as possible. Try to increase high-protein food in your diet. And reduce eating refined flour i.e. white flour, bleached flour, treated flour and other kind of white flour.

There is no cure for Juvenile diabetes. The only treatment for juvenile diabetes is insulin injections or an insulin pump. The drawback of insulin is that it cannot be taken as a pill. It is compulsory for Juvenile diabetics to check their daily blood sugar levels with the help of glucometer (often 3 times / day). Diet and exercise holds a very significant role in the treatment of diabetes.

Treatment of Type 1 diabetes involves:

* Insulin
* Self-monitoring of blood glucose
* Exercise