It is not possible to control everything that can impact your health. Genetic makeup is one such thing, and is one of the main causes of diabetes. Some people just end up with it even with a perfectly healthy lifestyle. Diabetes mellitus, or simply diabetes, is a complex disease that occurs due to the abnormal levels of the hormone called Insulin secreted by the pancreas. Not being able to produce insulin or use it effectively leads to varying sugar levels in the blood and therefore causes low or high sugar in the blood. There are two types of diabetes namely Type 1 & Type 2. When the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin it is Type 1 diabetes and when the body is unable to process the insulin that is produced, it is Type 2 diabetes. Both Type 1 & 2 diabetes are serious and may be detrimental to the health if proper care is not taken.

Here are a few care tips to remember for people with diabetes.

1. The DUCH check: Wondering what DUCH test is? It’s the acronym for Dental, Urine, Cholesterol & Haemoglobin test. Never skip your routine medical health check-ups at any cost. It is imperative that you do the DUCH Test in a manner indicated by your physician just to be sure that your numbers stay within the stipulated health limits.

2. Quench your craving: Often people with diabetes experience a sudden craving for food and often end up eating more than what their body actually requires. Most of the time, the high blood sugar level in the body tricks you into thinking you’re hungry when all you need is water. So the next time this happens, drink water and wait for 20 minutes and you’ll win this game.

3. No late snacks: Always remember to sleep on an almost empty stomach. Keep your dinner light and sugar-free since your body needs to be very active to burn this sugar. Also ensure that you get 6 or more hours of proper sleep to help your nervous system in its rejuvenation process.

4. Quit smoking: Giving up on smoking has a lot of positive effects on the body. Diabetic people have to be extra cautious since smoking poses higher risks for serious complications like heart and liver disease and also results in poor blood flow to the legs and feet resulting in serious infections and other complications.

5. Extra care for your feet & eyes: It has been observed that most of the complications arising out of diabetes show up first on the feet, eye or the kidney. Hence is it always a good habit to check these organs regularly and protect yourself from the ill-effects of diabetes.

6. Moisturize your skin: Dry skin is a very common phenomenon occurring in people with diabetes. So always remember to moisturize your body after a shower as this tends to stay longer and makes your skin feel hydrated.

References:

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/diabetes/7-tips-for-living-well-with-diabetes/1/

http://www.idf.org/about-diabetes