Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects millions of people. There are many different types, but all require careful attention to diet and exercise in order to keep the disease under control. It can be difficult for those living with diabetes to maintain a normal life without feeling like they are sacrificing too much for their health. This blog post will provide you with some tips on how to live a normal life with diabetes!
Stop smoking
When it comes to living everyday life with diabetes, quitting smoking must be your first step. Smoking is terrible for the body and its blood vessels in particular. It's also very bad for people who have diabetes or are at risk of developing it because of family history. In addition, the nicotine and carbon monoxide will constrict your blood vessels, making it harder to keep blood sugar levels under control.
Smoking also slows the healing process for injuries and wounds that people with diabetes may experience. So if you find yourself having trouble quitting, ask your doctor about nicotine replacements or prescription drugs that can help with cravings. Nicotine patches are a popular choice because they slowly release small amounts of nicotine into the body over time, so withdrawal symptoms aren't as intense. But, of course, there's no such thing as too much information when living a normal life with diabetes!
Take your medication no matter what
When you're not feeling sick or having any obvious symptoms, it can be easy to forget about your diabetes completely. However, this is one of the worst things that a person with diabetes can do because blood sugar levels build up over time, and if they get too high (or too low) for extended periods of time without treatment, then serious complications like nerve damage and organ failure can occur.
For most people living with Type I Diabetes on an insulin regimen, long-acting forms of insulin need to be taken once daily. However, many will still require short-acting doses before meals in order to keep their glucose at healthy levels throughout the day. This means taking medication every single day, even when there are no noticeable signs of illness such as frequent urination or thirst.
Eat healthily (and deliciously!)
In addition to taking your medication as prescribed, it's also important that you eat a healthy diet. Eating well is especially vital for people living with Type II Diabetes because they will often need oral medications to manage their blood sugar levels properly. If high glucose levels are left untreated, then insulin resistance can occur, which will make it even harder for the body to maintain normal blood sugars on its own without assistance from drugs like metformin and glipizide. These drugs work by increasing how much of an effect insulin has on the uptake of glucose into cells, so more glucose gets used up instead of building up in the bloodstream, where it causes damage (this includes weight gain).
The best diets for diabetics focus on low-glycemic index foods because they help control blood sugar levels without causing spikes and crashes. This means that you should try to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day instead of two or three large ones, which also helps keep the energy up so your body can fight off illness!
Stay active
Even when you're not feeling up to it, try and stay active at least a little every day. Of course, when your blood sugar levels are low, the last thing you should do is exercise because this can cause them to drop even lower, making hypoglycemia symptoms much worse than they need to be (including disorientation, blurred vision, and loss of consciousness).
However, there's no reason why someone with diabetes couldn't stretch their legs or go for a walk before bed each night - just don't push yourself too hard if you haven't been exercising regularly! In addition to helping fight off illness by strengthening the immune system, you can also learn more about how your hearing and diabetes are connected as well as how to take care of your hearing.
Don't skip a check-up!
Even if you're feeling good and think that your blood sugar levels are under control, it's important to go for a check-up every few months. In the early stages of diabetes management, oral medications can often make glucose regulation easier. Still, this effect doesn't last forever, so many people will eventually need insulin injections as well in order to keep their disease at bay. Skipping regular visits with a doctor or endocrinologist would be a mistake because they can recommend changes to medication dosages when necessary - taking more drugs than needed is always better than not being on enough!