Diabetes Management: Your Ultimate Guide

• Written by Care Health Insurance

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Guide for Diabetes Management

India currently shares around 49% of the world’s diabetes population. It means around 72 million Indians are diabetic, which is expected to double by 2025. Diabetes prevalence has been increasing and getting challenging. The treatment costs of such prolonged ailment are sky-rocketing. It can drain all your savings and leave you in a pitiful situation. Though this chronic disease is non-curable, it's preventive. You can consider this guide for management of diabetes  to protect yourself or your loved ones from the ill-effects of hyperglycemia. Let’s start with what is diabetes?

What is Diabetes?

It is a chronic disorder when the pancreas produces very less or no insulin in the body. Insulin is the hormone that moves sugar from the blood into cells for storage or produces energy. This untreated high blood sugar can damage the eyes, kidneys, and liver. It can strike anyone irrespective of age. It is of three types:

Type 1 Diabetes: It is the condition when the body stops producing insulin. Patients need to take insulin every day to survive along with a type 1 diabetes meal plan to ensure a healthy lifestyle.

Type 2 Diabetes: In this condition, the body does not make enough insulin or use insulin well. Patients take pills or insulin to balance blood sugar levels To be more healthy one can also get a type 2 diabetes food chart from a nutritionist to ensure a healthy lifestyle. 

Gestational Diabetes: Only pregnant females get affected with this kind of diabetes. But, most of the time it vanishes after the delivery of the baby.

What are the Symptoms of Diabetes?

Diabetes never does gender biases. Where symptoms can be mild at times, both men and women experience almost the same warning signs such as:

• Excessive thirst and hunger
• Frequent urination
• Weight loss or gain
• Fatigue
• Itching
• Blurred vision
• Slow healing of wounds
• Nausea
• Skin problem

What are the Effects of Diabetes?

In addition to the symptoms, diabetes causes serious damage to the body. Below are some common effects of diabetes.

• Stroke- damage the blood vessels of the heart and brain
• Eyes related problems- retinopathy, macular oedema, cataracts and glaucoma
• Kidney damage- nephropathy, kidney failure, and urinary infection
• Nerve damage- neuropathy and vitamin B12 deficiency
• Foot related problems- nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy), delay in healing and risk of infection
• Skin problems- damage small blood vessels and nerves, cause dry skin, rashes, and itching
• Mental Illness- stress, anxiety, depression and mood swings

Health Tips to Fight Diabetes 

It is common to feel sad and frustrated when you know this fact that you have to live with this prolonged ailment. But, you have to be strong enough to deal with it. It’s not that tough. Once you start follow a diet plan for a diabetic patient, you will see a massive difference in your overall health. Below are some preventive measures that you can follow to live your life normally-

Diabetes-Friendly Diet

Consult with your dietician and plan your diet chat. Include more fiber, whole grains, fish, leafy vegetables, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, and more good foods for diabetes. Switching to a healthy diet curtails your intake of calories and saturated fats.

Exercise Regularly

Set your goal for a week. Start slow with 10 minutes workout every day and gradually increase the time. Make a mix match of the exercises like walk, treadmill, functional training, stretch, yoga, dance, and more to make it fun.

Follow Routine Care

Visit your doctor regularly and follow the instructions religiously. Keep a tight check on your sugar, blood, and glucose level. You should go for cholesterol, eye, and dental check-ups if you experience any symptom of high blood sugar.

Meals and Medication

Too much or less food is dangerous for diabetes patients. You should plan your daily meals according to the medication you are taking in a day. You should coordinate your meals and medication to balance your sugar levels.

Low down Stress Level

Take part in recreational activities, go out with friends, enjoy your hobbies, or watch movies. All these fun activities help you to reduce your stress level. Remember, the more you can lower your stress level, the more you can cope with diabetes.

Following above diabetes treatment guidelines will ensure your health doesn’t get worse and diabetes subside with time.

>> Also Read: Symptoms of Ciabetes among children

How does Health Insurance Help Diabetics?

At times diabetes leads to the chances of hospitalisation. The treatment costs are sky-rocketing. Health insurance with diabetes cover is very helpful. Health insurance companies like Care Health Insurance give you complete coverage against all heavy expenses that you may incur at the time of emergency. You should get a diabetes health insurance plan for you and your family members. Take a look at what all a comprehensive diabetes health insurance should cover:

• Pre and post hospitalization expenses
• Cashless hospitalization
• Domiciliary hospitalization
• Annual health check-ups
• Daycare treatment
• Assured second opinion
• Life-long renewability
• Pre-existing disease
• Organ donor cover
• No claim bonus

How Self-management Helps to Control Diabetes?

If you are away from your family, then self-management is good for you. You should not feel bad about it. You should stand strong to fight against this prolonged disease. Follow these small steps and see how life becomes easier for you.

• Do not get depressed
• Prepare your daily itinerary
• Plan your meals-avoid over and under eating
• Follow your exercise regime religiously
• Take your medicines on time
• Get into activities like gardening, swimming, horse riding, trekking, dancing, etc.
• Educate yourself and your family about diabetes
• Avoid sedentary behavior

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain. The more you know about factors that influence your blood sugar, the more you can anticipate the fluctuations. The best way to curb this disease is management. If your diet, exercise, and medication are all in a good routine, and you are insured with diabetes health insurance, you can avoid the serious health complications of diabetes in the future.

Disclaimer: The above information is for reference purpose only. Kindly consult your general physician for verified medical advice. The health insurance benefits are subject to policy terms and conditions.