A record from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that more than 34 million Americans have diabetes, and 90 to 95 percent of them suffer from type 2 diabetes. Usually, this chronic disease affects older people, but medical experts found that the number of cases in teens as well as young adults has increased over the years.
With that said, it’s apparent that almost 8 percent of the American population has type 2 diabetes. Although this portion isn’t alarmingly massive, there’s still no denying that many people in the US need help with type 2 diabetes management.
To assist in improving health and reducing risks of complications, here are a couple of vital pieces of information to help you manage type 2 diabetes.
1. Learn About Your Disease More
A crucial part of managing a chronic disease is getting more information about it. You must keep yourself informed about the condition, including its symptoms, medications, and complications. In this way, you can prepare by adjusting your daily routine to accommodate activities that can help you manage your illness better. And in the event a complication arises, you’ll know what to do.
2. Watch Your Diet Regularly
When your body develops type 2 diabetes, it finds it difficult to make and use insulin well. This problem results in too much glucose in the blood due to inadequate insulin to convert it to energy.
On that note, it will be helpful if you don’t eat food with high glucose levels to prevent your condition from worsening. Create a diet plan that fits in with this criterion and stick to it.
3. Establish a Proper Medication Schedule
There’s no doubt that your doctor will give you a diabetes medication list that you will have to take regularly or routinely. Depending on the severity of your disease, you’ll likely get more than one or two pills in your medication plan.
Since medication plays a significant role in improving your condition, it’s essential to be mindful of when you have to take it concerning mealtimes. Remember that basic notes such as before or after mealtime aren’t put there for nothing. Usually, this can affect the effectiveness of your medicine. Thus, it’s crucial to abide by your doctor’s advice strictly.
If you’re having difficulty remembering when to take your medicine, you can use a medication tracker app to set up a proper medication schedule. This app will help you track when you need to take your medicine and which medicine you already took.
4. Test and Record Your Blood Sugar
Always test your blood sugar and record the results. Doing this can help you keep track of your progress. In addition, it can act as a reference for your doctor so he can give you more comprehensive advice on what kind of changes you have to make for better results.
5. Visit Your Doctor Regularly
Don’t just visit your doctor when your condition worsens. Always remember that your goal is to improve your situation. Thus, you need to go to your doctor from time to time for checkups to monitor improvement and adjust medication to address things you’ve overlooked.
Conclusion
Type 2 diabetes is manageable through practical lifestyle modifications. While it might sound simple and easy, it’s no reason to take things lightly. Remember that type 2 diabetes is a serious disease. And for you to get better, you have to be mindful of how you manage yourself and your illness.
MedManage is a cloud-based medication management system designed to assist patients and caregivers in managing medications better. With this medication tracker app, you can easily manage multiple drugs and store or share medication status and history. Help yourself fight your disease and download the app today!