VWB Blog Roughly 10% of Americans have diabetes. More than a third are prediabetic, and most people don’t know that they’re prediabetic.
In other words, there’s a good chance that diabetes will impact your life. If you or a loved one was recently diagnosed with diabetes, you’re going to have to make lifestyle changes.
You need to manage diabetes to prevent it from becoming a major health crisis. It can impact your mental health, vision, and hearing, and lead to heart and kidney disease.
Managing diabetes effectively is your best defense. That’s why you need a diabetic care checklist to keep track of your needs.
Don’t worry, because we’ve got you covered. Read on to learn how to manage your health and wellbeing after a diabetes diagnosis.
Daily Self Care
There are things you need to do on a daily basis to maintain optimal health with diabetes. It’s important to check your blood sugar levels throughout the day.
A doctor may tell you how often and when the best times to check blood sugar are. If you’re not sure, check with your healthcare providers.
Your doctor may give you medications to take. For instance, Rybelsus is prescribed to manage a Type II diabetes diagnosis.
Be aware of the side effects of Rybelsus or any other medications. Report any signs of side effects to your doctor immediately.
Diabetes is known to cause foot problems. Check the bottom of your feet every day for signs of swelling, redness, cuts, blisters, or other skin issues.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to change your eating and exercise habits. It’s critical to eat foods that help you regulate your blood sugar.
Get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. This includes walking, cycling, and lifting weights. Do things that you enjoy because you’ll stay motivated to do them more often.
Quarterly Tasks
At three-month intervals, visit your doctor if you’re struggling with your daily care routine. This is also a good time to take an A1C test.
The doctor can provide guidance to help you stay on task so you’ll take care of your health and wellbeing.
If you’ve been able to take care of your daily tasks consistently, you might not need to see your doctor this often.
Twice-a-Year Tasks
If you’re able to consistently do your daily tasks, you can visit the doctor and get the A1C screening every six months.
It’s a good time to visit the dentist for a regular checkup and cleaning. Diabetics have special dental needs and your doctor may want you to see the dentist more often.
Annual Exams
Diabetes can lead to other health issues, and annual exams for vision, kidneys, and cholesterol can prevent issues from happening.
Get an annual foot and hearing check as well as an annual flu shot.
Reach Optimal Health With This Diabetic Care Checklist
A diabetes diagnosis doesn’t have to be life-threatening. You can manage your health and wellbeing by following the steps in this diabetic care checklist.
Use this checklist as a guideline and work with your doctor to manage diabetes and maintain optimal health.
Check out the other articles on the blog for health and wellness tips.