Diabetes can be managed by developing a treatment plan with a diabetes care specialist. This plan may include lifestyle modifications, including dietary changes and increased activity levels. This may look like:

Food:
– Learning about carbohydrate counting and portion sizes
– Making every meal well balanced
– Coordinating meals and medications
– Avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages

Exercise:
– Talking to your doctor about an exercise plan
– Keeping an exercise schedule
– Knowing your blood sugar levels before exercising
– Checking blood sugar levels before, during and after exercise
– Being aware of warning signs of low blood sugar, such as feeling weak, hungry, tired, shaky, lightheaded, anxious, irritable or confused
– Staying hydrated
– Being prepared by keeping a source of sugar such as a snack or glucose tablets with you during exercise
– Adjusting your diabetes treatment plan as needed

Medication:
– Storing insulin properly
– Reporting problems to your doctor
– Being cautious with new medications

Illness:
– Planning ahead, and knowing what to do when you get sick
– Continuing to take your diabetes medication
– Sticking to your diabetes meal plan

The best treatment for diabetes varies from patient to patient and is dependent upon their individual needs. When determining which treatment plan will be the most beneficial, a diabetes care doctor will consider the following factors:

– Presence or absence of heart disease, which includes a history of congestive heart failure, stroke, and heart attack.
– Presence or absence of chronic kidney disease.
– The risk of low blood sugar that comes with the particular therapy option.
– Potential side effects of treatment.
– Body weight and the potential for the treatment to affect body weight (either gain or loss).
– Cost of the medication and insurance coverage.
– The patient’s individual preferences and if they think they will be able to stick with the treatment plan.

The five stages of diabetes are:

Stage 1: Insulin Resistance — Blood sugar levels seem normal, but only because the pancreas releases higher amounts of insulin to balance high blood sugar.

Stage 2: Blood Sugar Levels Rise (Pre-Diabetes) — The pancreas has difficulty maintaining normal levels of blood sugar due to the high demand of insulin production. This leads to the pancreas becoming fatigued from overworking. As a result, less insulin is produced and blood sugar levels begin to rise.

Stage 3: High Blood Sugar Levels (Diabetes) — Insulin output cannot cover the rise in blood sugar levels, causing them to spike more quickly. This is when damage to the pancreas begins.

Stage 4: Damage To The Pancreas (Diabetes) — As the result of years of the pancreas overworking, there is an overall elevation in blood sugar levels. The pancreas works excessively to lower blood sugar.

Stage 5: Failed Pancreas (Diabetes) — The pancreas produces little to no insulin and the body needs insulin injections to survive.

Type 2 diabetes can be effectively managed, and with the right treatment plan and support system, it can be made easy. By adopting effective management strategies, many people with type 2 diabetes can have a good quality of life and expect to live as long as a person without the condition.

If you are living with diabetes, it is vital to ensure that you are properly managing your condition. But don’t worry, you are not alone! At Smart Choice Medical Clinic, we are here to support your journey and make sure that you can live a good quality of life. Call us today to book an appointment, or visit our clinic conveniently located at 3347 Old Jacksonville Rd, Tyler, TX 75701. Our office is open five days a week: Monday to Thursday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. We serve patients from Tyler TX, Bullard TX, Troup TX, Jacksonville TX, Dogwood City TX, Whitehouse TX, Flint TX, and Gresham TX. Looking forward to serving you!