Transcript Measure Your Diabetes Risk

Measure Your Diabetes Risk
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What Is Diabetes?
• Diabetes affects the way your body uses food.
• When you eat, food is turned into sugar, or glucose.
Glucose, in turn, makes energy in your body.
• Insulin (produced by your pancreas) opens
your cells to allow the glucose to enter.
• If your body does not make enough insulin or
if the insulin doesn’t work the way it should,
glucose can’t get into your cells. It stays in
your blood instead. Your blood glucose level
then rises too high, causing prediabetes
or diabetes.
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S=sugar, I=insulin
Blood sugar and insulin
are normally in balance
The 2 Types of Diabetes
• Type 1 diabetes – The body no longer produces insulin,
so the sugar cannot move into the cells to become energy
• Type 2 diabetes – The body doesn’t produce enough insulin
and/or cannot use it well enough to get the
blood sugar into the body’s cells for energy
In both situations, blood glucose builds up in the
body and can lead to:
– Nerve damage and pain (neuropathy)
– Kidney disease (nephropathy)
– Eye disease that can lead to blindness (retinopathy)
S=sugar, I=insulin
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The Importance of
Controlling Blood Sugar
It is important for people with diabetes to get their blood
sugar under control and keep it that way to reduce the risk
of serious health problems (neuropathy, nephropathy,
retinopathy).
• Things that affect blood sugar levels:
– Food raises blood sugar
– Exercise lowers blood sugar
– Diabetes medicine (pills or insulin) lowers blood sugar
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How Blood Sugar Is Measured
1. Blood sugar monitoring
Finger stick test
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Done 1 or more times a day
Shows the blood sugar level at that moment
Blood sugar goals for people who have diabetes
Before meals
80 to 130 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter)
2 hours after the start of a meal
Less than 180 mg/dL
2. A1C test
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Your blood is drawn and sent to a lab (at least 2 times a year)
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Shows average blood sugar level over the past 2 to 3 months
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Goal: Less than 7% for most patients. However, your individual goal may
be more or less, depending on your age and/or health history
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1% reduction in your A1C level can lower your risk of many diabetes
complications by 40%
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Be Aware of Hypoglycemia
(Low Blood Sugar)
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Low blood sugar (less than 70 mg/dL) occurs when the blood sugar
level drops too low to provide enough energy for the body’s activities.
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Symptoms can include:
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− Dizziness
− Feeling anxious
− Sweating
Causes:
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Nervousness
Drowsiness
Confusion
Taking your insulin or diabetes medication
at the wrong time or taking too much
Side effects to some medications
Meals or snacks that are too small, delayed, or skipped
Waiting too long after taking medicine to eat your meal
Increased physical activity (not adjusting the insulin dose)
Alcoholic beverages
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How to Treat Hypoglycemia
Raise your blood glucose level quickly by eating or drinking
something in the form of a sugar or simple carbohydrate
•3 to 4 glucose tablets
•½ cup (4 oz) of regular soda (not diet)
•2 tablespoons of raisins
•4 teaspoons of sugar
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½ cup (4 oz) of juice
4 or 5 saltine crackers
1 tablespoon of honey or corn syrup
If you experience hypoglycemia, check your blood glucose every
15 minutes until it is above 70 mg/dL.
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Be Aware of Hyperglycemia
(High Blood Sugar)
High blood sugar occurs when a patient’s body has too little insulin
or when the body cannot use insulin properly.
• The signs of hyperglycemia are often difficult to detect but include:
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Frequent hunger
Frequent thirst
Fatigue
– Weight loss
– Frequent need to urinate
– Blurred vision
• Causes:
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Type 1 Diabetes – Not enough insulin
Type 2 Diabetes – Low insulin level or the body
is not using insulin properly
Improper dosing of prescribed medication
Too much food
Too little exercise
Stress from an illness, such as cold or flu
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Eating With Diabetes
“Choose My Plate” helps you to eat a variety of nutritious foods
and understand portion sizes at each meal. This will help you
balance your blood sugar level and better manage your diabetes.
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Beverages You Should Drink
What do you drink when you are thirsty?
Beverages can make a difference in your blood glucose level and weight.
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Drink
Don’t Drink
• Water
• Unsweetened teas
• Diet soda
• Coffee
• Other low-calorie drinks
and drink mixes
• Energy drinks
• Sweet tea
• Regular soda
• Fruit drinks
• Other sugary drinks
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Benefits of Exercise for
People With Diabetes
• The potential benefits include:
– Weight control
– Controlling blood sugar
– Improving strength, balance, and flexibility (which reduces
the risk of falling)
• Check with your health care provider before starting or
changing an exercise regimen
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Protect Your Skin
• Keep skin clean and dry
• Use moisturizing soaps when bathing
• Moisturize your skin to prevent chapping,
especially in cold or windy weather
• Treat cuts right away
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Protect Your Feet
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Check your feet every day
Wear shoes and socks. Do not walk barefoot.
Protect your feet from hot pavement or the sand on the beach
Make sure your shoes fit correctly
Wash your feet regularly
Rub lotion over the tops and bottoms of your feet but
not between toes
• Trim toenails when needed
• Do not use hot water bottles, heating pads, or electric blankets
on your feet
• Try to put your feet up when sitting
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Medication for
Type 1 Diabetes – Insulin
There are several ways you may take insulin:
• By injection
– Using a vial and syringe or an insulin pen
• Using an insulin pump
– Small machine worn outside of the body
• Using an insulin jet injector
– Looks like a large pen
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Medication for Type 2 Diabetes
People with type 2 diabetes may take medication
in the following ways:
• Pills
• Insulin
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Thank you for your participation.
Questions?
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