Monitoring Your
Diabetes - All About Diabetes -
Now that you've been told
you have diabetes you'll have to monitor blood sugar levels and control your
glucose level.
Your glucose level is based on the amount of blood sugar in your
bloodstream. In basic terms, glucose is found in the foods we eat, so having
a proper diet is obviously a very important part of controlling the glucose
levels in your bloodstream.
The medical experts agree in saying that your diet, and getting regular
exercise are the biggest keys in keeping diabetes under control. Many
doctors will even tell you that diet alone can control Type 2 Diabetes. You
will be told what kind of diet you need to be on based upon your type of
diabetes and your body type. You might want to get a diabetes cook book to
get a healthy body and heart.
If you have been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, the best way of controlling
it is to test your glucose levels regularly - as instructed by your doctor -
and take the correct level of medication or insulin.
Since a diabetics body can't produce insulin, as in Type 1 diabetes, or
cannot process the insulin that it does make, which is found in Type 2
diabetes, these blood sugar levels can vary much more then those of a person
in perfect health.
Diabetics afflicted with Type 1 Diabetes should be checking their blood
sugar levels daily before eating. The number of tests each day should a
minimum of 2 times per day, but some patients may need as many as 6 tests in
a day. These tests help determine how much insulin needs to be taken into
the body to help process the glucose.
Type 2 diabetics are able to control their diabetes with drugs and dieting.
However they too need to monitor their blood sugar levels a few times a
week. This should be done immediately after eating a meal or up to 90
minutes after eating. In addition, it is a good idea to check your levels
before every meal around one day a month to see exactly how your body
interacts with the food that you eat. Are you having trouble coming up with
healthy recipes to cook? You can find a number of diabetes cook books that
are not only healthy for your body, but your heart as well.
To check your blood sugar levels, the most commonly used method of obtaining
a blood sample is to prick the finger. You then take the blood that is
released and put it onto a testing strip, which comes with blood sugar level
testing kits. This strip is then put into a measuring device, and processed
for around 30 seconds before a result is achieved.
But there is some good news!
Lots of research is on going and a new gadget is now available that checks a
diabetics blood sugar and lets them know if it falls to a dangerous low.
Researchers have been searching for the gadget for years. Monitoring devices
are now coming on the market and by late summer will be available in the
United States.
These monitors are not as accurate as "normal" blood tests, finger lances,
but researchers are hoping that within a couple of years it will allow a
diabetic to forgo putting their finger to test for blood glucose levels. If
the monitor signals that blood sugar levels are low, it is necessary to take
a blood test for confirmation. The monitors are also slow to show rapid
changes that occur, especially when you exercise. This monitor is working to
make finger lances outdated for all diabetics.
Those who have used the monitors report little discomfort. A patch worn on
the abdomen may hurt when it goes on because there is a tiny wire placed
under the skin to measure the glucose in cell fluid. Once the patch is on,
it is comfortable to wear and sends information to a receiver. The receiver
is about the size of a cell phone. A patch can be worn for several days
before changing.
Researchers are working toward pairing the new monitoring device to insulin
pumps. These pumps have been on the market for years and could reduce the
time needed for controlling diabetes to a minimum. One such product has
already been approved in April and is now offered for sale now.
The monitoring portion of the device will not be available until later this
summer, so it isn't fully automatic yet, but it is promising news for those
who are trying to control Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
Another new treatment going through trials is the delivery of insulin
through inhalation. The insulin is prepared in a dry micro fine powder form
which is inhaled directly into the lungs from where it is absorbed into the
blood stream.
Now that you've been told
you have diabetes you'll have to monitor your blood sugar and control your
glucose level.
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