A Diabetes Diagnosis Means What?
Nearly every reader has a connection with diabetes. Whether you’ve been newly diagnosed, have been living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes for a while or are helping someone you love, it’s important that we have a basic understanding of this chronic condition. Floyd Valley Healthcare can help you gain a deeper understanding of how people affected by diabetes can live a healthier life—with all the tools, health tips and food ideas you need. Wherever you’re at with this disease, know that you have options and that you don’t have to be held back. You can still live your best life. All you have to do is take action and stick with it.
Over one million Americans have type 1diabetes, and 40,000 people will be diagnosed with it this year. Type 1 diabetes occurs at every age, in people of every race, and of every shape and size. There is no shame in having it, and you have a community of people ready to support you. Learning as much as you can about it and working closely with your diabetes care team, which includes your primary healthcare provider, specialty physicians and even a nutritionist, can provide you with all the information and tools you need to thrive.
In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. The body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat into blood sugar that it uses for energy—and insulin is a hormone that the body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of the body. With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, diabetes can be a manageable condition, with sufferers living long and healthy lives.
It’s important to remember this is a condition that can be – and must be – properly managed. By living a healthy lifestyle filled with exercise and proper diet and following the advice and direction of your healthcare team, you can live a normal, active life.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes; t means that the body doesn’t use insulin properly. While some people can control their blood sugar levels with healthy eating and exercise, others may need medication or insulin to manage it. Regardless, Floyd Valley Healthcare provides options, as well as the tools, resources and support to help you manage your condition and stay healthy.
A key part of managing type 2 diabetes is committing to and maintaining a healthy diet. We work to find helpful tips and diet plans that best suit your lifestyle and how you can make your diet work the hardest for you.
Fitness is another key to managing type 2 diabetes; all you have to do is get – and keep - moving. The key is to find activities you love and do them as often as you can. No matter how fit you are, a little activity every day can help effectively manage the condition.
Gestational diabetes can be a scary diagnosis, but like other forms of diabetes, it’s one that you can manage. It doesn’t mean that you had diabetes before you conceived or that you will have diabetes after you give birth. It means that, by working with your doctor, you can have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. No matter what, know that your primary healthcare provider and obstetrics team will provide you all the information and support you need for both you and your baby to be at thriving and healthy.
The causes gestational diabetes are complicated, but know that you are not alone. It happens to millions of women. With the condition, the placenta supports the baby as it grows, and sometimes, placental hormones also block the action of the mother’s insulin to her body and it causes a condition called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance makes it harder for the mother’s body to use insulin, meaning that she may need more insulin to compensate.
The key to treatment it is quick action because gestational diabetes can adversely affect you and your baby in a short amount of time. Work with your doctor to keep your blood sugar levels normal through special meal plans and regular physical activity. Your treatment may also include daily blood sugar testing and insulin injections.
When it comes to prediabetes, there are no clear symptoms; many have it and don’t even know it. It’s interesting to note that in people who develop type 2 diabetes almost always have prediabetes, which means blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Patients may experience some of the symptoms of diabetes and even some of the complications.
If you discover that you do have prediabetes remember that it doesn’t mean you’ll develop type 2 diabetes, particularly if you follow a treatment plan and a diet and exercise routine. Even small changes can have a huge impact on managing this disease or preventing it all together.
Hearing that a child or loved one has diabetes can be a shock. But after that shock wears off, know that there are plenty of things you can do to help manage this illness.
Make physical activity part of every day. Create a balanced diet for your child … one that everyone can live with and enjoy. Through it all, know that diabetes can’t keep your child from doing whatever they want and achieve their highest goals. There are Olympic athletes with diabetes, as well as professional football players, politicians, actors, rock stars and CEOs.
Take a deep breath and remember that Floyd Valley Healthcare is here to help. To learn more about type 1 or 2 diabetes, be sure to ask your provider at your next appointment or schedule a time to come in and discuss your options with.
