How is Diabetes Managed?

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by high blood sugar levels due to either the body’s inability to produce insulin (Type 1 diabetes) or the body’s inability to use insulin effectively (Type 2 diabetes). Proper management of diabetes is crucial to prevent complications and maintain a healthy lifestyle. In this article, we will explore the key aspects of how diabetes is managed.

Medical Care and Monitoring:

Diabetes management begins with regular medical care and monitoring. If you are diabetic, you will need to work closely with healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and dietitians, to develop a management plan, personalized to your specific needs.

Regular check-ups, blood tests, and monitoring of blood sugar levels are essential to assess the effectiveness of the management strategies and make necessary adjustments.

Healthy Eating:

A balanced and healthy diet plays a crucial role in managing diabetes. The primary goal is to regulate blood sugar levels by controlling the intake of carbohydrates. Individuals with diabetes should focus on consuming whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Portion control is vital to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels. Monitoring carbohydrate intake through carbohydrate counting or the glycemic index can be helpful. Consulting a registered dietitian can provide personalized dietary guidance.

Regular Physical Activity is a Must:

Physical activity is essential for managing diabetes. Engaging in regular exercise helps lower blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and maintain a healthy weight.

Aerobic exercises like walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling, along with strength training, are recommended. It is important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting an exercise regimen to determine the appropriate intensity and duration based on individual health conditions.

Medications and Insulin Therapy:

In Type 1 diabetes, insulin therapy is necessary as the body does not produce insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, oral medications, non-insulin injectables, or insulin may be prescribed, depending on the severity and progression of the disease.

It is crucial to take medications as prescribed and monitor their effectiveness. Regular communication with healthcare providers is essential to discuss any changes in medication or insulin dosage requirements.

Blood Sugar Monitoring:

Self-monitoring of blood glucose levels is a vital aspect of diabetes management. Blood glucose meters allow individuals to check their blood sugar levels at home.

Regular monitoring helps us understand how various factors, such as food, physical activity, stress, and medication, affect blood sugar levels. It provides valuable information for making adjustments to diet, exercise, and medication as needed.

Stress Management and Emotional Well-being:

Stress can significantly impact blood sugar levels in diabetics. Learning effective stress management techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or engaging in hobbies can help maintain emotional well-being and prevent spikes in blood sugar. Support from family, friends, or diabetes support groups can provide a valuable network to share experiences and seek emotional support.

Education and Self-Care:

Diabetes education plays a crucial role in effective self-care. Understanding the disease, its management strategies and the importance of lifestyle modifications empowers individuals to take control of their health.

Learning how to recognize and manage hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) is vital for preventing complications.

Diabetes self-management programs and resources provided by healthcare professionals can equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed for successful diabetes management.

In conclusion:

Managing diabetes requires a holistic approach that includes medical care, healthy eating, regular physical activity, medications or insulin therapy, blood sugar monitoring, stress management, and education.

By adopting these strategies and working closely with your healthcare team, diabetics can lead fulfilling lives while effectively managing their condition. Remember, diabetes management is a lifelong journey, and each person’s plan may differ, so it’s crucial to personalize the management approach in collaboration with healthcare providers.

Read about how Concord Hospital Leveraged CPOE to Improve Diabetes Care Processes HERE!

Control Diabetes with Diet and Exercise

The battle against diabetes in the United States is constant. Type 2 diabetes for the over 40 years category is more common because of increasing obesity which is largely due to the typical American diet. We eat more refined foods and fast foods and we are not getting the exercise that we need. It’s astonishing that almost half of the US Population, either has diabetes or falls into the prediabetes category. BUT the best news about this diabetes epidemic is that it’s almost entirely preventable!

Here are just a few tips when Opting for Fast Food.

Make sure to check out the “healthy options” on the menu, when visiting the big take-out chains.
Noodles are a great choice, but make sure you choose an option with an accompaniment low in fat, like veges, lean meat, or fish.
Japanese food is a great choice – there are rice rolls with fish or vegetables, sashimi, and sushi.
Always opt for boiled rice rather than Fried rice.
Try to avoid the sauces offered for salads and other foods – they can contain as many calories as the meal itself
Go for the whole grain bread and roll variety where it’s offered.
Drink water, or a no-sugar version of soda.
Avoid hot dogs, pies, pastries, and fries.

More HERE on Healthy food for Diabetics!

Can Diabetes be Reversed with Diet and Exercise

In type 2 diabetes, just like with your diet, the exercise program you choose needs to have goals that are achievable, but also rigorous enough to provide health benefits.

If you have recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, there’s a good chance you haven’t exercised for quite some time. So take it slow to start! Around 30 minutes per day to start is good – but if you find you can’t manage that all in one stint, then you can certainly break it up into 3 smaller sessions that you can manage.

Walking every day is a great place to start. Just start out with 15 minutes per day and build as you start to improve your fitness.
Try and arrange to walk with a friend
Try to increase your daily activity levels in general – by walking the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Parking a little further away from the grocery store and walking the extra.
Get yourself a pedometer to count your steps and motivate you to reach your set goals for the day.
Join a gym or an exercise class. This is good as you will have a class leader to follow, and also there would be someone to help in the event of an emergency.

Managing your Blood Glucose Levels.

Just as regular exercise is an essential part of controlling your diabetes, keeping regular checks on your Blood sugar levels is equally important for type 2 diabetes. Take steps to maintain its range.

Use a blood glucose meter to make random checks of your blood sugar levels several times during the day. There are many types of blood glucometers available. Choose the one you like and use as indicated several times a day to record your levels.

Signs of Hyperglycemia.

The excessive thirst,
frequent urination
blurry vision.
Fatigue
Weight loss
Headaches

Signs of Hypoglycemia.

nervousness,
tremors or signs of weakness,
fainting
Excessive Hunger

Normal Random Blood Sugar Levels

Normal random blood sugar levels fall within a standard range of between 70mg/dl to 150mg/dl. This variation can be attributed to various factors including the time, type, and volume of food consumed during previous meals.

When you eat foods that are high in carbohydrates, pancreatic secretions of glucagon and insulin regulate the glucose levels. However, the main problem arises when the pancreas does not secrete sufficient amounts of insulin to convert glucose into energy.

The condition of extremely high blood sugar is known as Hyperglycemia which can damage various organs resulting in kidney damage, nerve damage, loss of vision, and heart disease. The other extreme of low blood sugar is known as hypoglycemia and the patient might lose consciousness in case the blood sugar level is too low.

In case your blood sugar level does not fall within the normal range, appropriate action should be taken to diagnose the condition. Here are some tests to help diagnose diabetes and help diabetics ascertain how to manage the disease in the best way possible.

Random Blood Glucose Test

Normal random blood sugar levels

Random blood glucose tests are used to measure the amount of blood sugar or glucose circulating in your blood. Random blood sugar levels are used to determine whether you’re likely to have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. However, other tests are usually necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

What is random blood sugar testing?

Random glucose tests measure the amount of blood glucose at any given time during the day. Many blood glucose tests involve either continuous or fasting monitoring, but a random blood sugar test does not. However, random tests are particularly useful for someone who needs a speedy diagnosis and medical attention. Moreover, random blood sugar testing is an essential tool for diabetics because it helps determine how well the condition is being managed.

Reasons for random testing

Diabetes is a condition that affects the body’s ability to produce, release or use insulin once sugar is converted to glucose. Therefore, your doctor might recommend a random blood sugar test if you’re showing symptoms of diabetes. Early signs and symptoms of diabetes include:

Excessive thirst and urination
Blurred vision
Fatigue
Unexplained weight loss
Slow healing of cuts, bruises, and wounds
Tingling in legs and arms (diabetic neuropathy as a result of uncontrolled diabetes)

Type 2 diabetes tends to develop slowly and symptoms can be hard to detect especially during the early stages.

Random glucose testing and diabetes management

In people without diabetes, blood sugar levels are controlled through the actions of insulin and the cells’ use of glucose for energy. Therefore, their random blood glucose test results would remain relatively stable over the course of the day. There are no significant changes even if they:

Experience stress
Eat at different times of the day
Vary their diet

However, if you have prediabetes or diabetes, your random blood sugar levels can vary significantly throughout the day, especially if the disease is not managed well.

Random blood sugar tests are performed outside the normal testing schedule. If you have normal random blood sugar levels, you may not be suffering from diabetes. However, as mentioned earlier, your doctor may recommend additional tests to confirm the diagnosis. On the other hand, if you have diabetes and your random blood sugar levels are within the acceptable range, your management plan is probably working.

Wide variations in your random blood sugar levels typically suggest the need to change your strategy. It is essential to ensure that your random blood sugar levels are within the normal or acceptable range to avoid the complications caused by consistently high blood sugar levels.

When to test

For people with diabetes, it’s very important to pay attention to the symptoms. If you’re experiencing any signs of low blood sugar, test immediately. Random blood sugar tests can help you detect hyperglycemia and reduce the risk of serious and potentially fatal complications.

If you have diabetes, testing your blood sugar levels at various different times over the course of the day is very important as it can help you manage your condition more effectively and lower the risk of serious diabetes complications.

If random glucose test results indicate that your blood glucose levels are higher than expected, the doctor usually orders follow-up tests to confirm the diagnosis. Follow-up diabetes tests usually include:

Fasting glucose test:

This blood sugar test measures the blood glucose level after staying for at least 8 hours without eating or drinking anything except water. The fasting blood sugar level for a healthy person ranges between 70 mg/dl and 100 mg/dl. If the fasting glucose level exceeds 125 mg/dl for two consecutive tests, the person might be suffering from diabetes. Fasting glucose tests are usually performed in the morning before you’ve had breakfast.

OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test):

Sometimes, people with diabetes can demonstrate normal blood glucose results in the random test or fasting test yet still have diabetes.

If your doctor suspects that you have diabetes, they usually recommend an oral glucose tolerance test which also requires you not to drink or eat for at least 8 hours. After the doctor takes the first blood sample, you’ll drink a glucose solution and then the doctor will take more samples over the next 2 hours.

This test is usually used to evaluate the body’s response to sugar. The present blood sugar level is measured first after which a glucose solution (175 gm glucose) is given to the patient. After this, the blood glucose level should be measured at 30-minute intervals six times. For non-diabetics, the blood sugar level does not rise above 140 mg/dl at any time.

However, a blood glucose level of between 140 mg/dl and 199 mg/dl indicates that the person might be pre-diabetic. A blood glucose level of 200 mg/dl or more suggests that the person is suffering from full-blown diabetes. The main objective of a glucose tolerance test is to assess the reaction of your body to the sudden influx of glucose.

Glycated Hemoglobin Test:

Although the glycated hemoglobin test is not for the diagnosis of diabetic conditions, this test shows how well the patient has been managing diabetes for the past 3 months. These normal blood sugar levels should always be less than 7%. In case the level is above 7%, it is vital for the doctor to change your treatment plan.

Managing the blood glucose level (and maintaining normal blood sugar levels) is a vital aspect of controlling various diabetic conditions. Moreover, you can test your blood sugar from anywhere by simply using the correct equipment and paying attention to directions. You should also keep a good record of your test results in order to identify potential problems.

Interpreting random blood sugar test results.

The amount of glucose in your blood is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Normal random blood sugar levels for a person without diabetes should be below 200 mg/dL.

According to one 2015 study, random glucose test results of over 100 mg/dL is a great risk factor for diabetes. A result of 200 mg/dl or more indicates that you may have diabetes. However, the doctor may repeat the random test on another day and recommend a different test for a reliable diagnosis.

Help yourself to Maintain Normal Blood Sugar Levels!

You know a lot of diseases can be managed and even reversed, by regular exercise, a good healthy eating plan, (monitored carefully by your health care professional), keeping well hydrated, and getting plenty of rest.

Read on here for more about Diabetes and Diet.

Importance of Exercise for Diabetes

Having diabetes, it is vital we recognize the importance of exercise for diabetics. Daily physical activity is essential, to help manage your blood glucose levels. It will also help to burn off those extra carbs and fat in the blood, from that sneaky dessert you shouldn’t have had last night, or that extra glass of wine with dinner!

Let’s face it, being a diabetic is really tough at times, but it doesn’t have to be all bad. With regular exercise, as well as making you feel great, you’ll build muscle, and overall it will improve how your insulin performs.

Exercise for diabetics using a pedometer.

So to get started, one of the simplist methods to monitor just how active you are in an average day, is to get yourself a step counter – known as a pedometer.

This is just a simple little low cost device that can clip easily onto your belt, or around your waistline. It’s recommended that 10’000 steps per day is a good start. If you find this a little challenging in the beginning, just do what is manageable and increase just a little every day.

Easy ways to increase this, is to make sure you start clocking the steps right from the moment you get out of bed in the mornings, all the steps count. I find that if you’re actually wearing a pedometer, you tend to make sure you increase your activity. Try these few suggestions, I find work for me:

When parking at the shopping centre, don’t just park at the closest car park to the stores you wish to visit. Why not park the furthest away from the entrance door (there are normally more spaces too!)
When doing the school drop offs, I often park a kilometre or two away (depending on how many steps I’ve already done for that day!) It’s great exercise for the kids as well.
Instead of jumping into the car to run up to the corner store, put on your joggers and walk there.
Even small things like getting the mail from the mailbox – don’t stop when you’re driving in the drive in your car, park the car and then walk back out to the mail box. You might have a nice steep driveway like mine, which also gets the heart pumping even more!

You could check out the exercise desk bike: Great exercise while sitting!

Or for those of you who want a little more of a challenge, it’s really not that difficult to increase that recommended 10’000 steps, to 15’000 a day.

If you are someone who takes public transport to work, get off the train or bus a little early and walk the rest of the way.
Take the stairs in your building instead of the escalator or lift.
Go for a walk through the park at lunchtime instead of sitting and flicking through that magazine. Believe me, you’ll feel better for it!

Exercise for diabetics – a few safety thoughts!

You know that feeling you get when starting out on a new fitness program, you feel alive – you’ve got a fresh injection of endorphins running through your veins! Well it’s important to make sure you don’t overdo it to start and get a thorough check up with your doctor first.

– I repeat, don’t overdo it, start out slowly and gradually build up doing a little more every day.

Make sure you wear comfortable clothing, especially correctly fitting shoes is essential.
Make sure you keep well hydrated, drinking ample amounts of water
Try and exercise in the cooler parts of the days, either early in the mornings or after work to prevent dehydration
Make sure you check your blood glucose levels both before and after you exercise.
If at any time you get short of breath or experience and chest pain or dizziness at all, make certain that you visit your doctor as soon as possible.

Exercise for diabetics is a great start, to living a better life and keeping those blood glucose levels under control.

The Latest in Diabetic Watches

Nowadays, diabetic watches (also known as glucose watches) are designed to be worn on the wrist just like a wristwatch. This is a non-invasive procedure where the monitor checks the level of blood glucose by inducing a painless electric shock that draws interstitial fluids from the skin pores in order for them to obtain the blood glucose level.

Besides being painless, and it has no side effects, the devices can be used at any time of day and as regularly as you wish. The monitor records the readings and it can also be set to alarm in case the readings are too low or too high. Diabetic watches have made it quite easy to track changes throughout the day.

Tips for purchasing Diabetic Watches

1. Result speed We are living in a fast-paced society where we want everything to be instant. Therefore, it is vital to purchase a diabetic watch band that guarantees instant results. Most glucose monitoring systems take less than 15 seconds to display the results.

2. Ease of use The display should be large enough in order for results to be clearly displayed and avoid reading errors. This is very helpful, especially for people who have poor eyesight. Keep in mind, that too many buttons or features could turn out to be overwhelming especially for the elderly.

3. Memory In case you want to store the history of your blood sugar readings your diabetes monitoring device must have a memory function. Some glucose monitoring systems also have data ports. This allows diabetes patients to download their historical blood sugar readings to their personal computers for detailed analysis.

4. Batteries Check the charging life of the batteries and the type of batteries required. Some monitors use batteries that are readily available in most stores whereas others use batteries that are only available in specific places.

Diabetic watches and the companies that manufacture them.

1. GlucoTrack This device was developed by Integrity Application and it uses three main technologies: conductivity, heat capacity, and ultrasonic. The device comprises a transmitter, main unit, processor, receiver, and an ear clip that contains sensors.

GlucoTrack DF-F model received CE-Mark approval in June 2013 and the Integrity application can sell this device in all the 28 European member states. Integrity Application hopes to submit GlucoTrack DF-F to regulators in the USA as soon as possible. Also, the company plans to conduct various clinical studies in the USA in the second half of 2014.

2. Symphony Symphony was developed by Echo-Therapeutics and it is a biochemical sensor-based trans-dermal continuous monitoring system that reads and interprets the glucose level measurements.

3. Multi-sensor glucose monitoring system This system was developed by researchers at Solianis Monitoring and it delivers continuous data on blood glucose variations using the OpticalBridge technology.

4. LighTouch Technology This device uses a technology that projects a spectrum of light into the patient’s finger. The device analyzes the colored light that is re-projected from the finger in order to measure the blood glucose level. Although Glucowatch was approved for use in the USA by the FDA in August 2002, this decision was reversed in 2007.

Non-invasive glucose monitoring means that it is not necessary to prick your skin in order to get blood samples. Besides eliminating the pain completely, it is a simple way to avoid the formation of scar tissue. A diabetic watch is a great accessory especially when it comes to taking proper care of diabetes patients. These gadgets and accessories are vital when it comes to

safe monitoring,
tracking,
management of diabetes in order to ensure that other medical problems and complications do not arise.

If left untreated, diabetes can easily cause grave medical complications.

Can diabetes really be reversed?

Here at Diabetes Healthy Solutions, we are monitoring the advancements in technology closely, with regard to Diabetic Watches so visit us regularly for further updates.

The Latest in Diabetic Watches 2022

Proper management of diabetes entails keeping track of your blood sugar levels. Diabetic watches offer a reliable way of tracking your blood glucose levels in real time. These watches also allow you to keep an eye on other aspects of your health, including your diet and physical aspects such as exercise and blood pressure which are also important to managing diabetes and other conditions.

More useful diabetes control tips here!

Why is it so difficult to monitor blood glucose non-invasively?

The process of keeping track of blood glucose traditionally involves using sensors implanted under the skin or drawing blood to take measurements in real-time. Companies are looking for solutions to these elements and taking the invasive component out of the equation.

These solutions mainly revolve around optical-based methods that are already being used for measuring body temperature, blood oxygen, and heart rate. According to Jake Leach, Dexcom’s chief technology officer, the company is currently working on the 8^th generation of its non-invasive device and he reports that the main challenge of measuring blood glucose noninvasively is being able to do it accurately and reliably.

How are big companies trying to make non-invasive blood glucose monitoring possible?

Products currently available on the market show that big players making fitness trackers and smartwatches have been trying to solve the problem of providing glucose monitoring non-invasively from the wrist. Although some companies have been more open about their goals than others to make it a reality, there has been plenty of speculation about others that they have been putting a lot of research hours into this.

Apple

Apple is obviously one of the biggest players in the game and it was definitely interested in blood glucose monitoring even before the popular Apple Watch was a thing. It is rumored that Apple CEO Tim Cook was testing out a CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) device even before the release of the Series 3 Apple Watch.

In 2018, Apple won a patent for non-invasive glucose monitoring that uses light-based optical monitors that measures a particular substance in blood and monitors its changes in a bid to determine blood glucose levels.

Recently, there has been speculation that Apple is working on a watch that can track glucose levels and that the company was testing the “stability and reliability” of its functionality before it’s launched. Apple has also secured a deal with Rockley Photonics, a UK startup that develops optical based sensors focused towards delivering blood glucose data.

Samsung

Samsung, one of Apple’s biggest rivals wants in on the treasure hunt too. It has already managed to provide blood pressure monitoring and ECG data. There’s also speculation that a Samsung watch that keeps track of blood glucose is in the works. Apparently, Apple is collaborating with MIT to develop glucose monitoring support on its wearable devices.

Alphabet

Alphabet and Verily have secured a joint venture with Dexcom to develop a CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) sensor. An update on the partnership shows that they are developing a device embodied in their G7 product. However, the product has not been launched commercially. According to Leach, their collaboration is largely about making their wearables smaller so that they are more comfortable and more convenient to wear. This relationship has yielded some electronics that have allowed them to miniaturize even further with the G7 which is up to 60% smaller, a huge advancement in innovation.

Fitbit

Before being acquired by Google, Fitbit was already exploring the possibility of keeping track of blood glucose levels from its devices. The company collaborated with One Drop to help incorporate diabetes management into Fitbit smartwatches. Moreover, a united Healthcare partnership was created, which saw participants given a Dexcom and Fitbit monitor to determine how their diabetes was impacted by activity.

One of Fitbit’s biggest investments in diabetes was a $6 million stake in Sano, a company that is working on a coin-sized, painless patch that tracks your glucose levels. The patch works by reading the interstitial fluid under the skin and is hence painless when getting a reading.

The bottom line

Diabetic watches are both useful and fun and have a wide range of features that some people would never think of. Some smartwatches may even allow users to reply to texts and emails or even answer calls in some cases.

Keeping track of your blood sugar levels doesn’t have to be scary and stressful. Also, there’s no need to settle for bulky and cumbersome watches. Diabetic watches come in a wide variety of prices, models, and styles. Each diabetic watch comes with different features and discovering the best fit for you is not hard considering all the great choices available on the market as well as the prospects for future devices.

More on the Non Invasive Glucose Meters HERE!

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