Building a Diabetes Care Plan

Have you felt overwhelmed by the demands that come with diabetes management? If so, you’re not alone – like any chronic disease, taking care of diabetes can be hard work at times. However, it’s essential not to fall into the trap of assuming you can’t reduce the stress associated with diabetes care.

Building a diabetes care plan is a simple but effective way to make diabetes more manageable. If you need assistance with this process, the team at US MED can help. Here, you’ll find our outline for a diabetes care plan.

Every Day

Check Your Blood Glucose

When you have diabetes, you have to know where your blood sugar levels are. Having some idea of what causes these numbers to go up and down is essential, as this knowledge can help you build the rest of your diabetes care plan.

Depending on the type of diabetes you’ve been diagnosed with, the number of times you’ll need to check your glucose levels each day will vary. Follow your doctor’s orders, and keep track of your numbers so you can share them with your healthcare team later.

Take a Look at Your Feet

Nerve damage impacts roughly half of all people with diabetes, and the body parts most commonly affected by this are legs and feet. Among other symptoms, nerve damage can reduce your ability to feel pain, so it’s a good idea to check for foot problems before they can develop into something more serious.

Keep an eye out for cuts, sores, swelling, blisters, calluses, and any other indications of damage to your feet. If you find anything, let your doctor know as soon as possible. If checking the bottoms of your feet is difficult, use a mirror or get help from a loved one.

Take Your Medications

No matter how healthy you feel, it’s vital to get the medicine you need. Each day, make sure to take the doses of insulin and other diabetes medications your doctor has prescribed for you.

Eat Right

Since blood sugar management is the key to successfully treating diabetes, it stands to reason that what you eat matters. Your healthcare team can create a diabetes diet that fits your nutritional needs – once that plan is in place, your job is following it each day.

A diabetes diet doesn’t have to be severely restrictive. Instead, your diet should include balanced portions of all the primary food groups. If you’d like to find new, diabetes-friendly foods, our database of recipes can help.

Get Some Exercise

Physical activity is indispensable when you’re trying to keep your blood sugar under control. Regular exercise can lower your blood sugar, make diabetes management easier by allowing you to lose weight, and reduce your risk of complications.

For the most part, it’s a good idea for people with diabetes to get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical exercise weekly. This exercise can include biking, a fast-paced walk, and countless other activities.

Every Three Months

Take an A1C Test (When Things are Changing)

The A1C test makes it easier for people to track their blood sugar levels. It’s often used for diagnosing prediabetes and diabetes, but it can also give you a long-term look at what your blood glucose levels look like.

Based on how your diabetes care plan is going, you may need to take this test more or less frequently. People who have recently made changes to this plan or have trouble controlling their blood sugar should get tested once every three months.

Visit Your Doctor (If You Need Help)

When you have diabetes, doctor visits include blood pressure/weight checks along with a review of your medications and self-care strategies. Your schedule for doctor visits will also change depending on the status of your diabetes treatment efforts. If you’re having problems meeting your diabetes-related health goals, schedule visits every three months or so.

Every Six Months

Go to the Dentist

Sugar is famous for causing dental problems – and that can include the sugar in your blood. If you have elevated blood glucose levels, your white blood cells (which play a crucial role in fighting mouth infections) may be weaker than usual.

As a result, people with diabetes can’t afford to ignore their oral and dental health. That means you should visit the dentist twice each year for tooth and gum cleaning. Be sure to share your diabetes diagnosis with your dentist so they can give you the treatment you need!

Take an A1C Test (When You’re Meeting Your Goals)

If your diabetes treatment efforts are going smoothly, you’ll still need to get A1C tests – but not as often as you would otherwise. Schedule these tests once every six months as suggested by your doctor, when you’re able to meet your goals for diabetes management.

Visit Your Doctor (If Things are Going Well)

Along with this, plan to visit the doctor twice annually when you’re able to manage diabetes symptoms and blood sugar successfully. Your doctor will still check the same things they would otherwise, however.

Every Year

Get Your Flu Shot

The flu can make blood sugar management tricky for people with diabetes, and diabetes can intensify flu symptoms. Don’t take any chances with the flu: get vaccinated at the start of flu season each year.

Keep These Tests Up to Date

These checks and tests are essential, but you won’t need to do them very often. At least once a year, make sure to have each of these procedures done:

• Cholesterol test
• Thorough foot check
• Kidney testing
• Hearing check
• Dilated eye exam
• One Time
• Get Your Shots

There are two shots you’ll need to take once in your life. These are the pneumonia shot (which you should take before the age of 65) and the hepatitis B shot (which should be taken under the age of 60). Note that you’ll have to get two more doses of the pneumonia shot after the age of 65.

If Needed

Take Care of Your Mental Health

Diabetes doesn’t just affect your physical well-being. As we mentioned earlier, managing a chronic condition can be stressful – and this stress can lead to mental health problems. If you notice feelings of hopelessness or sadness, ask your doctor what could help.

Keep An Eye on New Symptoms

The symptoms of diabetes can change over time, and your diabetes care plan may need to change in response. If you notice any new diabetes symptoms, notify your doctor right away.

Let Us Simplify Your Diabetes Supply Needs

Another critical aspect of diabetes management is making sure you have access to the supplies you need. People with diabetes rely on many different supplies to manage their condition, such as testing supplies, insulin pumps, and more. To make your diabetes care plan as successful as possible, it’s a good idea to find one company that can provide all of these supplies.

Countless people with diabetes choose US MED to deliver their supplies to them. That’s because we offer free shipping and automatic reorder reminders, supported by an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. If you’re looking for a diabetes supply company, give US MED a try – order the supplies you need today!