The whole point of trying to keep your blood sugar at target range is to prevent the numerous complications and cost of managing them, associated with diabetes. You can live a fulfilled life despite your having diabetes, you just have play by its rules.
Diabetes management requires a multiple approaches, to achieve your desired glucose levels. It is very important that you pay attention to every aspect of your management, as it would determine how well you will live with your diabetes. The approaches include:
Non-drug Approaches
These are called lifestyle modifications and they are the mainstay of diabetes management. They include the right nutrition, exercising and losing weight. For some people these might be all they need to manage their blood sugar or even reverse their diabetes, if they are pre-diabetic or are mildly diabetic. However, no matter the severity of your diabetes, always, employ these lifestyle changes for optimal management.
Drug Approach
For some people, lifestyle modifications are not enough to lower their blood sugar to desirable levels, and so they require medications to achieve their goals. The medications help lower blood sugar via different mechanisms. The most common ones include:
- Those that increase insulin secretion from your pancreas- glibenclamide (Daonil), glimepiride (Amaryl), Gliplizide, Gliclazide (Diamicron).
- Those that indirectly increase insulin secretion from your pancreas- Sitagliptin (Januvia), Vildagliptin (Galvus), Saxagliption (Onglyza)
- Those that help your insulin work better- Metformin (Glucophage), Pioglitazone (Actos), Rosiglitazone (Avandia)
- Those that reduce the production of glucose by your liver- Metformin (Glucophage), Pioglitazone (Actos), Rosiglitazone (Avandia)
- Those that slowdown the absorption of carbohydrate from the intestine- Acarbose (Glucobay)
Insulin
You might need insulin, if your blood sugar becomes really high or if your oral medications are no longer enough to control your blood sugar. The need for insulin would vary among individuals, based on various factors. There are different kinds of insulin based on how long they work, your doctor would decide what is best for you, also taking into consideration your personal preferences.
The approaches you would need to employ would depend on how severe your body’s resistance is to insulin, and how much insulin your pancreas is still producing.
You can live well and good with diabetes; however it is requires daily management. With time, effort and the necessary support, managing it will become second nature.
If you feel you need professional help to adopt the necessary lifestyle modifications to optimally manage your diabetes and provide the necessary support, contact us here.