Taking care of yourself is a top priority for people who live with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. There are many ways to stay healthy even if you have diabetes. In order to protect yourself from developing heart attacks, kidney failure, blindness or nerve damage as a result of living with diabetes, you have to take the lead in caring for your health.
All of the advice about preventing type 2 diabetes is smart advice for people living with diabetes. Regular physical activity and eating well are key to managing your diabetes effectively. Working with your diabetes health care team is very important, as is monitoring your blood glucose (sugar) level every day. All type 1 diabetics need to take insulin injections every day. People living with type 2 diabetes may start out managing their disease through healthy eating and physical activity, but because diabetes is a progressive disease, doctors will prescribe up to 8 different oral medications to manage their blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels and to prevent kidney disease. A lot of information on taking care of yourself with diabetes can be found through the Useful Resources section of these pages. The following tips will help you learn the basics of how to take care of yourself with diabetes. |