Although there is no cure for diabetes, it is manageable. Every year new types of medication and medical devices provide more and more choices to people with diabetes. Yet the basic foundation for good diabetes care still focuses on healthy eating and physical activity, plus monitoring your blood glucose level and taking medication, as needed.


Changing your lifestyle and habits to live with diabetes can be a real challenge. But the benefit of taking care of yourself and your disease includes preventing or delaying serious health complications ranging from tingling feet to kidney failure and blindness. When your blood glucose level is in normal range you feel better. So talk to your doctor or diabetes educator and develop a diabetes management routine that works for you so you can live your life without limits.


Food - What you eat directly impacts your blood glucose levels


Fitness - Help keep blood glucose in check by being physically active


Monitoring - Testing your blood glucose


Medication - Insulin and diabetes pills


Coping & Complications - Manage daily concerns and long-term diabetes complications.



Related Articles


Beginner's Guide to Diabetes Management. Recently diagnosed? Or want to be sure that you're pursuing a well-structured diabetes management program? This simple overview provides key steps to take in order to help keep diabetes under control.


Following Doctor's Orders Key to Beating Diabetes: To overcome diabetes, it's important to follow your doctor's orders. Yet, startling statistics show many people don't. Find out what you need to do in order to become a good patient. (October 2004)



Yearly Check on Diabetes Control: Look at the past 12 months and ask yourself a few questions. How did you feel? Did you maintain target blood glucose levels? Use our checklist to be sure you're doing the essentials to maintain your health. (December 2003)

Physical activity is essential for everyone's health and well-being. But for people with diabetes, regular exercise is especially important because working out boosts overall fitness while reducing blood glucose levels.


And it doesn't have to be a marathon to make a difference. You can spend hours at the gym, but just as important are those hours of gardening, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and strolling around the block after dinner, that help keep your diabetes in control.


Even if you haven't been very active, you can still enjoy the advantages of getting moving more regularly. If you learn to make exercise a habit -- a fun habit -- your body will enjoy an amazing number of benefits.


Physical activity can


1. Lower blood glucose (blood sugar)
2. Help insulin work better

3. Strengthen your heart, muscles, and bones
4. Maintain and increase joint flexibility, balance and endurance

5. Help you reach your target weight and maintain it
6. Reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke

7. Lower blood pressure and cholesterol
8. Improve blood circulation

9. Help you feel better about yourself (physically and mentally)
10. Relieve stress


Ideally, adults 18 and over should get 30 minutes of physical activity on five or more days per week. Even if the 30 minutes is divided into smaller time periods during the day (for example, three separate 10-15 minutes of brisk walking), the health benefits are still significant.

Read more »

An insulin pump is a small, battery-operated device that supplies a continuous amount of insulin to the body. You should talk with your healthcare team before purchasing and using a pump.


Some things to know about insulin pumps:


The pump contains a battery, a motor and a supply of insulin.


The pump is connected to the body by tubing and a single needle or soft cannula. The insertion site is rotated every 1 to 3 days.


Insulin that is delivered continuously is called the basal dose. The dose given before meals is called a bolus dose.


Eliminates need for multiple injections to implement intensified therapy.


Allows for better blood glucose control.


Works continuously, similar to a healthy pancreas.


Makes it easier to adjust doses.


Most insurance companies cover pumps.


DKA may develop rapidly, if pump fails, tubing crimps, or needle pulls out.


The decision to use an insulin pump requires careful consultation with your diabetes care team.

Read more »

Diabetes pills (oral agents/oral medications) are medicine for people with diabetes who need help keeping their blood glucose under control. Keeping blood glucose under control is important to reduce or prevent serious health complications. Since people with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin, it's mostly people with Type 2 diabetes that use diabetes pills.


If you have Type 2 diabetes, you should know


Your body does not make enough insulin to control your blood glucose


Or, your body doesn't use the insulin it makes properly


Pills are not insulin, but work with the body's insulin to control glucose


Some pills help your body make more insulin, while others help your body use insulin better


Type 2 diabetes changes over time. This means you may need different treatments at different times to control your blood glucose.


As Type 2 diabetes changes, diet and exercise may no longer be able to control your blood glucose. If that happens, diabetes pill maybe added to your care routine.


As Type 2 diabetes continues to change, pills may no longer be able to control your blood glucose. If that happens, insulin may be added to your pills to improve blood glucose control.
All diabetes pills sold today in the United States are members of five classes of drugs: sulfonylureas, meglitinides, biguanides, thiazolidinediones, and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. These five classes of drugs work in different ways to lower blood glucose levels.


For more information about diabetes pills, talk to your doctor or explore the American Diabetes Association Web site.

Not all people with diabetes need medication to live a life without limits. If you do need insulin or diabetes pills to manage your diabetes, make sure you use all medications safely and effectively. Follow the schedule you have discussed with your healthcare team. Consistent dosages help you control blood glucose levels, so keep records of when and how much you take to help spot trends and make adjustments in your routine. Also, be aware of drug interactions by asking your doctor or pharmacist how various combinations of medicines will affect your health.


Diabetes Pills (Oral Medication)
For people with Type 2 diabetes, medicine may be used to lower blood glucose. Diabetes pills help the pancreas produce more insulin and/or make the body's cells more sensitive to its own insulin. But diabetes pills are not actually insulin.

Learn more about diabetes pills


Insulin
Insulin is a hormone the body needs to convert sugar, starches and other food into the energy necessary for daily living. There are various types of insulin and insulin delivery systems that can be used. It is important that people who take insulin understand how it works, what factors affect its action and what schedule will work best for them.

Learn more about insulin and insulin pumps.