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How You Can Prevent Complications
of Diabetes
Diabetes can lead to a host of complications especially
if blood glucose (sugar) is uncontrolled. Complications can affect the heart,
eyes, feet and kidneys. By monitoring your body's glucose, cholesterol, blood
pressure, protein, and ketones you can find out when there is a problem and contact
your doctor to take action. In this article we focus on what you can monitor to
detect problems and how. Monitor your blood glucose - good
blood glucose control can prevent or delay the onset of most diabetes-related
complications. A desirable blood glucose range for most people is 80 to 120 mg/dL
before breakfast, 180 mg/dL or less, 2 hours after meals and 100 to 140 mg/dL
before bedtime. With a wide range of home use glucose meters on the market there
is no reason why you could not monitor your own levels. For more guidance on choosing
a glucose meter visit our guide
to glucose meters. Check your A1C levels - also
known as HbA1c or glycosylated haemoglobin level. This test provides a "picture"
of how well your diabetes has been controlled over a period of 2-3 months. A blood
glucose test gives you a result a result at a particular time, the A1c check tells
you how you are doing overall. Ideally all diabetics should have this measurement
done at least annually, if not more frequent. Good diabetic control is assumed
at levels of 7% or below. At present you would need to have the check done via
your doctor or a lab but there are a few home test kits coming onto the market
slowly. To learn more, visit our article on the importance
of A1c Monitor your blood pressure regularly -
tight blood pressure control can be essential in preventing heart problems latter
on. High blood pressure often occurs in diabetes and since it has no symptoms
it is very important to measure your blood pressure routinely, at least every
three months. Blood pressure levels for a person with diabetes should be kept
ideally less than 130 mm Hg systolic and less than 75 mm Hg diastolic but as more
and more clinical trials are done on the subject the target numbers can change.
If you have high blood pressure stick to the targets set by your doctor. To learn
more visit our article on high
blood pressure and diabetes. Monitor your cholesterol
levels - You should check your cholesterol levels once a year. People with
diabetes have a greater risk of heart disease, this means monitoring the risk
factors of heart disease, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, needs
to be done regularly. There are now a range of home cholesterol kits which allow
you to take control and check your cholesterol yourself. Accu-chek have the Accutrend
plus which measures blood cholesterol but is expensive, the cheaper
option is to use a self
check testing kit. The target total cholesterol level is to aim for
below 5 mmol/L but your doctor may have a different target for you. There is good
evidence that an even lower cholesterol may be better. Check
your urine protein - You should check for protein in your urine once a year
usually as a part of your annual diabetic check up. Protein in the urine can be
a sign of kidney problems (diabetic
nephropathy) and a positive result needs to be discussed with your
doctor. You can check your urine protein at home using a urine dip stick such
as Albustix.
Have an eye test - one of the possible complications of diabetes
is a loss of sight through diabetic
retinopathy. Having an eye check once a year will help detect any problems
with the health of your eyes and sight. Early detection is the key for any successful
action. Check your feet - examine and check your feet regularly.
You should make a point of doing this as problems with your feet can go undetected.
Our feet spend the bulk of the day covered in socks and footwear. We rarely see
our feet and if we don't look, we won't know. If your are experiencing a complication
of diabetes, such as a loss of your pain senses, you may not realise when you
have cut or injured your feet. Early detection is key and costs nothing to check.
To learn more see our article on diabetic
foot. These are the main areas you should monitor and
alert your doctor if your results are outside the range you and your doctor have
agreed. To receive articles like this as soon
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Learn more about diabetes by signing up. Other
Articles: Guide
to Glucose Meters
High
Blood Sugar
Travel
and Diabetes
Monitoring
your A1c
Blood
Glucose Testing Tips
Diabetic foot
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