Type 2 Diabetes Self-Care
If a person is battling a disease such as a type 2 diabetes, he must be prepared that such a disease is actually for life. Once a person discovers that he has this type of diabetes, he is aware that it is a chronic disease. In such cases, the body produces insulin, but it does not reach the muscles and fat cells. It just remains in the blood.
When a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it is typical that the person already has problems with weight. When the blood sugar rises, the body experiences certain changes. All people suffering from these types of diabetes mellitus should be adequately educated on how best to deal with the disease, learn diabetes care and manage it according to their body's needs. The best way to start with this is to consult a doctor who specializes in the field and to get adequate advice from him on diabetes care.
How to organize type 2 diabetes self-care?
To properly organize self-care for people with type 2 diabetes, it is crucial to get diagnosed as soon as possible. A person often does not suspect that he has a possible problem with diabetes mellitus because the body often does not give any signals. Some of the symptoms you should pay attention to are the following:
- increased hunger,
- increased thirst,
- very frequent urination,
- the appearance of frequent infections,
- blurred vision,
- the difficulty of healing wounds on the skin,
- the appearance of redness and rashes, etc.
Diabetes management is very important
Once you discover you have type 2 diabetes, you need to take every precaution to control the condition. It is very important to regularly monitor your blood sugar level because otherwise, it can lead to serious problems and complications. The best diabetes self-management is, to take the following steps:
Regularly check your blood sugar level, which can even be done at home with modern appliances.
Keep a healthy and proper diet and be active.
Then, if you have been prescribed a certain therapy for diabetes treatment, you must adhere to it according to the given instructions. Therapy should not be skipped and it is up to the doctor to tell you how it is best to take it. Your doctor can also help you with regular blood sugar tests, and in this way, if a person makes a schedule, it can easily control diabetes management and strengthen and maintain his health at a satisfactory level.
A healthy diet and satisfactory weight
One of the first steps to take when it comes to controlling diabetes mellitus is to have a healthy diet because in that way you will automatically have control over your weight. So, choose your foods carefully, especially those with sugars and carbohydrates, as this can increase your blood sugar levels. You can learn a lot about good food choices regarding blood sugar from your doctor or nutritionist.
How do people with diabetes take care of themselves?
People with diabetes take care of themselves by following a properly balanced diet and by following their weight fluctuations. There are cases where some people, after regulating weight gain, have stopped taking medications that were intended to control diabetes even though the disease is still present.
In addition to a healthy and regular diet, of course with the choice of adequate foods, it is very important to be physically active. Especially in people with diabetes of any type. Exercise is important because it improves blood flow, lowers blood pressure, burns extra fat and of course, helps to reduce body weight.
Among the good exercises, we single out walking, jogging or even cycling every day, but not too much. Find the activity that works best for you and keep sticking to it. Always make sure you have food or juice with you in case your blood sugar is low at some point. Water is very important, so you should drink a lot of it.
Regular blood sugar testing
If your doctor thinks that you need, in addition to regulating the diet and perhaps possible therapy, it is necessary to regularly check your blood glucose level, even at home. Such a device is called a glucose meter, where you can check your blood sugar level with just a drop of blood. With this type of diabetes care, your doctor can help you make a good and adequate schedule because in people with diabetes it can be once or twice a day, and in some even several times a day it is necessary to do the test.
Importance of regular testing
Regular testing and checking of blood glucose are important for the following reasons:
You check whether certain medications help you or cause complications.
You check whether the diet you follow is good.
You check whether the activity in your routine is good.
People who are not taking medication can be checked to see if medication is necessary and, very importantly, to prevent additional problems and possible complications. If the medication is not enough to keep diabetes under control, the person must take insulin. Insulin is given by injection and it is very easy to learn how to do it yourself without the presence of a doctor.
What self-care skills are needed for both types of diabetes?
In diabetes treatment, there are seven ways to behave well in treating diabetes and establishing diabetes control, namely: good or healthy diet, physical activity, regular blood sugar control, taking prescribed medications, awareness of the existence of a problem, dealing with the problem and reducing the risk of further complications. These are so-called diabetes self-care activities.
Why is self-care important for diabetics?
Taking care of yourself when you have already been diagnosed with diabetes is a very important item in maintaining good health. Not only do you help yourself with the problem, but you also prevent the risk of other damage that can occur in other organs: the eyes, kidneys, blood vessels, etc.
What is "Self Care," Really?
There is a clear definition for the term self-care. The World Health Organization pointed it out. It clearly defines self-care as the attitude of an individual in establishing a health system, whether it is related to prevention or disease management. It is important to point out that performing regular health examinations is very important, education about the problem is as important as rehabilitation and recovery itself.
Although the very name self-care can lead us to think of many other things like massage, cake pieces, etc., real self-care begins from a medical point of view. Commitment to oneself in the form of medical check-ups is an important item towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle and is especially important in the early detection of problems. That is why people with diabetes of both types must make it clear to themselves that taking self-care behaviors one has to learn and create a routine because no one can do it for us.
However, patients with diabetes often lack motivation and even some form of self-pity, which is very important to solve right at the beginning of the problem. The support of close people in such moments is indispensable in addition to the support of experts and health professionals of course.
Day to Day Self Care
For patients with diabetes of any type, it is very important to learn how to deal with the disease and how to encourage it in solving the problem, reducing it, and preventing possible complications and the risk of worsening the situation. Sometimes whole families participate in this process because people with diabetes go through a sensitive period of diabetes self-management.
We can expect good outcomes if we adhere to the following self-care rules: A healthy dish includes balanced and nutritious meals with carefully selected foods of certain nutritional value.
Physical activity - stick to those exercises that best suit your body and health. One should not exaggerate and should be moderate.
Control the blood glucose levels - which can be done at regular medical check-ups with health professionals or at home if you are trained for that.
Take medication regularly - if you have been prescribed a specific therapy to control diabetes, you should adhere to it and never skip or neglect medication. All this should be harmonized with regular medical examinations with health professionals.
In a person with diabetes, it is important to be aware of the problem and to develop a certain way of diabetes self management technique. One should face the fact that life in this case has certain guidelines and sacrifices, but this must not in any way affect the daily way of life that you have led. That is why moderation is very important in everything you do or consume, such as certain foods and alcohol. Keeping a diary of certain activities can help a lot in all this.
Diabetes self management for people with diabetes is crucial. It is necessary to stay organized and go towards the set goal. If you adhere to certain rules that you have implemented, you can expect certain successes in this field. In addition to the diary, it is important that the person talks about their problem with people who are in the same or similar situation, it helps to fight together against the disease and that other who cannot accept the problem lead to create awareness, in that case, we are a step closer to solving the problem. Motivation can be found in new activities but also in meeting other people who are also struggling with the same problem.
Final Remarks
Self-management should be paramount in every self-sufficient person. If that were not done, then unnecessary stress would accumulate, there would be a bad diet, not going to the doctor, etc. You should always set aside time for yourself and your needs of a psycho-physical nature, so you will establish a balance and it will grow into good habits.
In patients with diabetes mellitus, self-management may require additional processes and modifications, but nothing is impossible, only good organization and moderation are needed, as well as will and perseverance. Once you have successfully changed bad habits, you have come to a successful way of diabetes self-management.
People should always be motivated to protect their health and the health of others because a healthy environment and awareness of solving problems of any kind are essential for the prevention of many serious diseases.
