Addressing Top Diabetes Concerns After a Diabetes Diagnosis

A diagnosis of a chronic disease like diabetes can set off a range of emotions. You may feel anxious, confused, afraid, and even angry. But once you get over your emotional reaction, you will have a host of questions and concerns.

Once diagnosed, your doctor may continue to be your primary contact for treatment and disease management. Or you may get a referral to a diabetes specialist. The next step after diagnosis is education to address your diabetes concerns and set you on the right diabetes management course.

Top concerns among people with diabetes

You will need to make lifestyle changes after your diabetes diagnosis to keep your blood glucose level under control and prevent further complications of the disease.  During a diabetes consultation, your healthcare provider will review in detail the following common concerns about lifestyle changes to support your specific diabetes needs and management requirements.

How will my diet change

Key to managing diabetes is healthy eating to regulate blood sugar, so it is a common diabetes concern to make the right choices. This involves eating healthy foods in the right amounts at the right time to keep blood sugar in your target range as much as possible. Work with your health care team to create a meal plan that works for you.

A good diabetes meal plan will help you manage carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates can contribute to an increase in blood sugar. However, a diet plan for a diabetic still should include making sure to get adequate amounts of carbohydrates.

Diabetes meal planning for blood sugar control also involves watching portion sizes. Read labels and use measuring cups to understand what an appropriate amount is. And talk to your health care team about the best time to eat or drink.

What medication, including insulin will I need

Knowing the difference between the two types of diabetes is important in understanding what types of medications your doctor may prescribe and daily management. Type 1 is a chronic autoimmune disease. The immune system mistakes the body’s own healthy cells as foreign invaders. In response, the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. With the destruction of these cells, the body is unable to produce insulin. [1]

With Type 2 diabetes, the body cannot use insulin correctly so that sugar builds up in the blood. Type 2 is more common than Type 1, accounting for 90 to 95% of all cases.[2] Type 2 can occur in people of all ages but occurs more often in older individuals. Being overweight and inactive can contribute to the disease.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends the following diabetes exam questions to ask about prescribed medications: [3]

• How much do I take?
• How often should I take it, and when?
• Should I take my medication on an empty stomach or with food?
• What to do if I forget to take my medication and remember later?
• What side effects could I have?
• What should I do if I have side effects?
• Will this medication cause a problem with other medications I take?

You may want to ask your doctor if there is financial support for medicines and equipment should you need assistance.

How will diabetes affect exercise

Exercise is good for your heart, lungs, and state of mind. Regular exercise also can lower blood pressure and triglyceride (fat) levels. Harvard Health also points out that for people with diabetes, exercise has the added benefit of blood sugar level control. Exercise lowers blood glucose levels and increases your body's sensitivity to insulin to counter insulin resistance.[4]

The magic number for exercise is 150 minutes per week, says the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The exercise does not need to be all at one time, either. ADA recommends thinking of a diabetes exercise plan as a series of mini goals. A goal could be to exercise 50 minutes three times a week, 30 minutes five times a week, or even 25 minutes six times a week.[5] Walking is good exercise to start with if you have not been active. As part of your diabetes consultation, find out what other recommended types of activities are. Also talk to your doctor about how to make sure to keep blood sugar in a safe range before, during and after exercising.

What are potential disease complications:

Diabetes can lead to other serious health conditions so it is a common diabetes concern to understand what they are and how to avoid them.  During your diabetes consultation, you will want to learn about the following diabetes complications and how to avoid them:

·         Heart disease: High blood sugar damages heart blood vessels and nerves. People with Type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop and die from cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure, than people who do not have diabetes, says the American Heart Association.[6]

·         Chronic kidney disease: In the United States about one in three people with diabetes have diabetic nephropathy, which is chronic kidney disease (CKD).[7] 

·         Peripheral neuropathy: High blood glucose levels and elevated levels of fats in the blood can damage nerves. When this happens, the nervous system’s signaling can no longer function correctly.

·         Diabetic retinopathy: The condition occurs when high blood sugar damages blood vessels in the retina, which is the light-sensitive layer of cells in the back of the eye. The damaged blood vessels can swell and leak. The result is blurry vision or blood flow stops.

·         Skin problems: Skin problems associated with high blood pressure include itchy skin, rashes, redness, swelling, and bruising.

How will diabetes affect my travel:

Traveling is another common diabetes concern since it impacts meals, bringing and taking medications, and health issues that may arise. Having diabetes should not prevent you from traveling. Just be prepared.  Discuss with your medical provider about any planned activities and how they could affect your diabetes and if so what you should do about it. You will want to:

·         Take written prescriptions

·         Research pharmacy locations

·         Take along diabetes supplies

·         Keep healthy foods with you since you do not know if you can find food when you are out sightseeing or enjoying nature

Find out about support groups

During your diabetes consultation, you should also ask about support groups. Your medical provider may be able to provide a list of local in-person groups or online organizations. Members of diabetes support groups can suggest resources and offer realistic advice that your healthcare provider may not be able to provide. Participating in a group with others who are in a comparable situation can help to mitigate concerns about how to manage your diabetes on a day-to-day basis or potential complications of the disease. Not only are support groups a source of empowerment for dealing with your disease, but you also benefit from building relationships with others.

Among the benefits of diabetes support groups are:

•          Getting practical information for coping with problems and daily life

•          Sharing emotion without fear of being judged

•          Lightening the stress of living with diabetes

•          Learning about the latest advances in medications, benefits, and side effects

•          Getting on top of the latest research

•          Finding out about the best medical practitioners and treatment centers

Learn as much as you can and confer as often as needed with your health team and support groups. Current information about diabetes and medicine and technically are constantly evolving so you also want to keep up with the latest information available on managing your diabetes.