Push Admin

Questions to ask your doctor about Diabetes

Article (news)

Glucerna

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Photo source: Glucerna website [LINK OUT " https:="" www.family.abbott="" ph-="" en="" glucerna="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/advertorial/07/25/masthead.jpg"/><figcaption>Photo source: Glucerna <a href="https://www.family.abbott/ph- en/glucerna/products.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw__ihBhADEiwAXEazJtqRKyF9FkH848CiiljJkSvObA7Ex86- _MhInp6yd6tdqHQsfQ1eshoCqlwQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">website</a></figcaption></figure></div>If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, know you are not alone in this journey. Support and guidance are available from healthcare providers to guide you through the management of your diabetes.Type 2 diabetes is the inability of the body to regulate and use sugar from food as fuel. Knowing what makes your blood sugar levels fluctuate and how to manage it with your healthcare provider, is step one of a sound diabetes management program. However, between multiple doctor visits and lifestyle changes that you may be implementing, things may get overwhelming. Some questions that you want to raise at your next appointment could slip through the cracks. Having a handy checklist of questions to ask your doctor may be useful in giving you a leg up on type 2 diabetes management.<div>Types of initial doctor visits for diabetes management</div>As with most health matters, the healthcare providers who will help you manage your type 2 diabetes will include a team of professionals. As diabetes may impact different parts of your body, you may need the counsel of different healthcare providers who deal with specific issues.Talk to your doctors to address your diabetes, coordinate care and refer you to professionals as required. Some of them may include:1 · An endocrinologist with special training and expertise in diabetes treatment, especially to do with insulin and hormones. · A registered dietician, trained in the field of nutrition to help you figure out your food needs and the important nutrients based on your health goals, lifestyle, medication and physical fitness. · A certified counselor who can help you work through any emotional or mental distress you may experience in your diabetes journey. · A fitness trainer who will work in tandem with your primary doctor and design an exercise program best suited to you.It is essential for this network of healthcare professionals to fully understand your diabetes, in order for them to provide you with all the relevant guidance. Making a habit of penning your thoughts on your ongoing health matters, is a great way to bring them to the notice of your healthcare provider.<div>Topics and questions to ask your doctor about diabetes</div>Learning as much as you can and asking your healthcare provider the right questions may help you make informed choices about lifestyle changes. Here is a guide to help you along the way: <div>Changes in diet</div>Glucose comes from the food you eat and insulin directs glucose into the cells in the body.2 Those living with type 2 diabetes may not use insulin well, while others with type 2 diabetes also do not produce enough insulin. Without the proper function of insulin, glucose can accumulate in the blood and result in high blood sugar levels.2 To help keep blood sugar under control, making the right food choices is paramount.Asking your doctor these questions will help you understand the course of action to take regarding type 2 diabetes and food. · What food will affect my blood sugar? · Will my medicines affect my appetite or taste? · Why am I hungry all the time? · What can I eat when I do not have access to foods that have been recommended for my diabetes? · What nutrients are essential to managing my blood glucose? · Can I have alcohol occasionally? · Do I have to cut back on salt and sugar? · I love my rice. How do I get to eat some rice in my diet plan? · Are there fruits I can eat that are suitable? · What are the snacks I am allowed between meals and on the go?Eating the right kind of food, at the right time and of the right amount, is one of the key steps in managing diabetes.3 Your doctor and dietician will help form a diet chart with timelines and intervals, tailored to your lifestyle, medication, health issues and fitness goals. If you have favorite recipes you wish to use, run them by your doctor – who knows, you may be able to swap some items of food in to make it friendly for your diet.People with prediabetes and diabetes may also benefit from diabetes nutritional drinks such as Glucerna, along with proper diet, exercise, and rest. Diabetes-specific nutrition formulas can help people with diabetes or those who are pre-diabetic make small changes to feel more in control and to help support their diabetes management plan.Formulated with a low glycemic index (GI), <a href="https://www.family.abbott/ph-en/glucerna/why-glucerna.html">Glucerna®</a> is an option you may integrate into your blood glucose management plan. It contains a slow-release, low-GI carbohydrate blend which helps lower blood sugar response. It is also packed with 4x more inositol (vs. previous formulation) which helps the body convert sugar into energy. Complete and balanced with 35 nutrients, Glucerna is designed to replace a regular meal to help in reducing weight and waist circumference, along with proper diet and exercise. It is also rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and heart-healthy Omega-3s.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Photo source: Glucerna" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/advertorial/07/25/20230725-glucerna.jpg"/><figcaption>Photo source: Glucerna</figcaption></figure></div><div>Starting on medication</div>We all know that medicines are used to help treat, ease, halt or prevent ailments. Understanding the list of medicines advised and asking your doctor relevant questions that may have an effect on other aspects of your health, is a start to diabetes management.Here are some key questions about medication that you can ask your doctor: · How long will I need to take this medicine to bring down my blood sugar? · What does this medicine do? · Will I feel sleepy after taking it? · Do I need to avoid any specific foods to avoid a reaction, aside from diabetes food to stay off? · Am I allowed to consume alcohol a few hours before or after taking my medicine? · If I am sick and cannot keep food down, do I still need to take my medicine? · With regards to acid reflux, should I take this pill before or after a meal? · Will I need to use the restroom frequently when I am on this medicine? · If I skip a dose by mistake, can I carry on with the next dosage? · How do I store this medicine?Your doctor will advise you on the possible side effects to any of the medicines that you need to take. Be sure to let your doctor know if you have known allergies or had previous reactions to specific medications or ingredients.4 Medication may be prescribed after understanding this. Your medication needs may change over time.4<div>Tracking blood sugar and self-monitoring</div>Regular blood sugar monitoring is important for your doctor to understand how well your blood sugar is responding to treatment. Identifying and recording daily sugar level variations will give you an insight into factors that affect the shift. They may be affected by lots of things including food, medication, exercise or stress. It can also serve as motivation to help keep your momentum going in diabetes management.Here are some questions to ask your doctor about diabetes and tracking blood sugar, to get you on your way: · When should I test my blood sugar? · How often should I take the prick test at home? · How do I check my readings and take action accordingly? · I travel for work. How can I carry myself monitoring kit with me? · What should I do if there is a sudden spike in my blood sugar? · What happens if I forget to do the test one day? · Do I keep to the same time for testing, daily? · What other factors can affect the result of my tests? · What is my specific target range of blood sugar? · What should my blood sugar level get to in the first month? Second month? Over six months? · Have my average blood glucose levels (HbA1c) improved? · What should I do to keep my blood glucose level low?HBA1c testing is a fundamental part of type 2 diabetes management which should be guided by a healthcare provider.5 A relatively simple blood test may give you an overall picture of your average blood glucose level over the past two to three months.5<div>Blood sugar goals</div>Keeping within good blood sugar readings is important to help ensure that you are on the right track in managing type 2 diabetes.6 This, too, may serve as the motivating tool to keep persevering in achieving the personal goals you have set in diabetes management. Most doctors would advise on frequent blood testing in the comfort of your home or in a lab.Questions to ask your doctor about your diabetes blood sugar goals are: · How and when should I test for blood sugar? · What is my specific blood sugar target range? · What causes low blood sugar and what are the signs of low blood sugar? · What causes high blood sugar, and what are the signs of high blood sugar? · What can I do to manage my blood sugar goals?<div>Getting physically active</div>Endorphins released from exercising are chemicals (hormones) that act as the body&#x27;s natural painkillers.7 Endorphins also help improve your cells&#x27; sensitivity to insulin8 to help lower your blood sugar level.8 Asking the right questions regarding physical activities may spice up your routine and keep things fun.Here are some of the questions you can raise with your doctor about the benefits of exercise and what types suit you best: · What activities in and around my home can I do to improve my fitness level? · Can I divide my 1-hour walk into three 20-minute walks throughout the day? · Do I need a heavy cardio workout, or can I manage with walks and yoga twice a week? · What are the exercises I am allowed to do at the gym? I will need to share this with my gym instructor. · Should I invest in a pedometer to monitor my steps? · What happens when I am ill and cannot exercise?A popular myth is that you need to work out hard to control diabetes.9 Your doctor will explain how boosting daily activity levels according to your ability, may help benefit your health - not everyone needs to pump iron to get glucose levels under control. By understanding this, you get to mix and match routines that suit your lifestyle.<div>Possible complications</div>One of the most important aspects of diabetes management is understanding the potential complications that may arise. Poorly controlled diabetes may lead to several complications, both acute and chronic - making it an important area to talk to your doctor about.Here are some of the questions you may want to raise at your first few visits: · What type of progression can I expect from my diabetes? · What are the other health issues I may experience because of diabetes? · Can I reverse the effects of diabetes? · How can I treat diabetes in the long run? · How can I manage my diabetes better to prevent possible complications? <div>The round-up on diabetes management</div>There are countless ways to help yourself and your loved ones to live a healthy and happy life with diabetes. Where diabetes management and treatment are concerned, one size does not fit all.Therefore, equipping yourself with the right information from qualified healthcare providers is essential from the get-go. Early diabetes management, whether as an individual or caregiver, is the first step in one&#x27;s journey to better health.To know more about how Glucerna may help manage your glucose levels, as part of type 2 diabetes management program and healthy lifestyle, visit their <a href="https://www.family.abbott/ph-en/glucerna/home.html?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=adultnutrition-glucerna-powder-spark-abb-ph-glu-social-23-194-awo-traffic&amp;utm_term=230801_230831&amp;utm_content=glucernaabbott">website</a>.Glucerna comes in Vanilla and Chocolate flavors. It also comes in a ready-to-drink bottle.To check out products from Glucerna, visit their <a href="https://shopee.ph/scp/34402434/eyJjaWQiOjQwMTUxLCJzaWQiOjM0NDAxMDUwLCJpc0RyYWZ0IjpmYWxzZX0%3D%20?utm_campaign=s34401050_ss_ph_fb00_abb-ph-glu-social-23-194-awo-aug1toaug31&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=seller&amp;utm_content=brnd-glu-trf-shp1-gluartcle1-bhv-na-aug-gluarticle1aug-article-aug1toaug31">Shopee</a> and <a href="https://c.lazada.com.ph/t/c.YrMDuD?intent=false&amp;fallback=true&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lazada.com.ph%2Fshop%2Fabbott1630395516%2Fcustom-1654438190093.htm%3Fwh_weex%3Dtrue">Lazada</a> pages.For more information on Glucerna, click <a href="https://www.family.abbott/ph-en/glucerna/products.html?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=adultnutrition-glucerna-powder-spark-abb-ph-glu-social-23-194-awo-traffic&amp;utm_term=230801_230831&amp;utm_content=glucernaarticle1b">here</a>.Resources: 1 National Library of Medicine. Rajeev Goyal; Ishwarlal Jialal. Diabetes Mellitus Type 2. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513253/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513253/</a> 2 American Diabetes Association. Eat good to feel good. <a href="https://www.diabetes.org/healthy- living/recipes-nutrition/healthy-food-choices-made-easy">https://www.diabetes.org/healthy- living/recipes-nutrition/healthy-food-choices-made-easy</a> 3 National Library of Medicine. Medication for Type 2 diabetes. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279506/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279506/</a> 4 National Library of Medicine.Self-monitoring blood glucose: Practical aspects. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864180/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864180/</a> 5 National Library of Medicine. Thomas K. Mathew; Prasanna Tadi. Blood Glucose Monitoring <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555976/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555976/</a> 6 American Diabetes Association. The Path to Understanding Diabetes. <a href="https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes">https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes</a> 7 Diabetes United Kingdom. Diabetes Myths. <a href="https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-myths.html&quot;: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-myths.html">https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-myths.html</a> 8 National Library of Medicine. Understanding Endorphins and Their Importance in Pain Management. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3104618/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3104618/</a> 9 Cleveland Clinic. Insulin Resistance. <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22206-insulin- resistance&quot;: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22206-insulin- resistance">https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22206-insulin- resistance</a> ASC Reference No. A0068P071823G

If you have type 2 diabetes, there are several ways how medical professionals can help.