Health Tips A to Z

Living well with diabetes means finding a balance between the food you eat and your activity. This balance will help –  

o  Make certain to keep your weight in a healthful range

o  Prevent low blood sugars and high blood sugars

o  Make sure to keep your blood cholesterol and other blood fats in a normal range

o  Control your blood pressure

Living Well with Diabetes

Here are some tips –  

o  Make sure to eat about the same amount of food at each meal or snack.

o  Make sure to eat meals at about the same time every day.

o  Be active. Make certain to get 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week.

o  Do your exercise at the same time every day.

o  Make certain to eat high fiber foods, like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.

o  Make certain to use the Percent Daily Value on food labels to compare products and pick those lowest in saturated fat, sum fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

o  When you crave sweets, try fresh fruit, sugar-free gelatin, or sugar-free popsicles.

o  Make certain to use smaller portions if you are trying to lose weight.

o  Follow a healthful consuming plan. See a registered dietitian for a personalized meal plan.

o  Be certain to take your medicines as directed.

Here are some ways you can lower your risk of heart illness –

Quit use of tobacco

o  Smokers have more risk for heart attack as nonsmokers.

Know your cholesterol levels

o  Consult with your health care provider about what your objectives should be.

Control high blood pressure

o  Make certain to take your blood pressure medicines as directed.

o  Be certain to keep your blood pressure less than 140 / 90.

Be sure to get active

o  Be physically active every or most days of the week.

o  Try activities like gardening or walking.

Make certain to eat right and reduce your cholesterol

o  Be sure to eat a heart-healthful diet low in fat and cholesterol.

o  Make certain to eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Achieve and maintain a healthful weight

o  Be certain to eat right and be active.

Manage stress

o  Be sure to use stress and anger management techniques to lower your risk.

Control diabetes

o  Be sure to take your diabetes medicines as directed.

o  Monitor your blood sugars.

o  Follow your diabetes eating plan.

People  with diabetes are more likely to get heart disease. Here are a few things you are able to do to lower the risk –

Make sure to keep your blood sugar level under control

o  Be certain to check blood sugar levels

o  Be sure to take your diabetes medicines as directed

Maintain a healthful weight

o  Follow your diabetes-eating plan

Lower your cholesterol level

o  Limit the amount of foods you eat that are high in saturated fat and high in cholesterol

Increase your exercise

o  Make sure to take a walk

o  Make sure to take the stairs

Control your blood pressure (BP)

o  Be certain to take your blood pressure (BP) medicines as directed

o  Make certain to check your blood pressure (BP) at home

Stop use of tobacco

o  Talk with your healthcare team if you need help to stop tobacco use

Do not forget – having diabetes, being overweight, having high blood pressure and getting heart illness are all connected.

Diet and exercise are good ways to keep your blood sugar and blood pressure under control. When diet and exercise aren’t enough, medicines can help. Medicines can be used to help reduce your blood sugar levels. They can also help reduce your cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Pneumonia shots save lives by protecting against pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal disease is more than just pneumonia. It’s a very serious disease. It may cause  infection in your bloodstream and in the lining of your brain.

Anyone can get pneumococcal disease. Adults over the age of 65 are at greater risk for complications.

Everybody who’s 65 or older should get a pneumonia shot.

When you are younger than 65, you ought to get a pneumonia shot when you –  

o  Have chronic heart disease, lung disease, liver disease, kidney disease or diabetes

o  Have sickle cell illness

o  Have certain cancers such as Hodgkin’s illness, lymphoma, leukemia or multiple myeloma

o  Have had your spleen removed

o  Have a weakened immune system, caused by cancer, medicines, HIV, or AIDS

o  Are an Alaskan Native or Native American

o  Live in a nursing home or other care facility

Most individuals  receive the pneumonia shot when they reach 65. When you had a pneumonia shot before you turned 65, and got the shot more than 5 years ago, you will need a ‘booster’ shot.

After the shot, your skin could  be red or sore where the needle went in.

Ask your health care team if you need a pneumonia shot.

The warmer weather means more outdoor activities. While it is great to be active and outside, it is even greater to be safe and active and outside.

Here are some tips to make your outdoor activities safer.

Water Safety

Learn to swim. When you do not know how to swim or are not a strong swimmer, use an individual floatation device.

o  Swim with a buddy.

o  Swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard.

o  Be aware of currents and depth changes.

o  Enter the water feet first.

o  Do not drink and swim, dive or use a boat.

o  Don’t become too tired, too cold or too far from safety.

o  Stop swimming and get out of the water at the first sign of bad weather.

Lightning Safety

Lightning may be motivating to watch, but is very dangerous.

o  Be mindful of developing thunderstorms.

o  Seek safe shelter immediately when you hear the rumble of thunder.

o  Don’t seek shelter under tall isolated trees or objects, partially enclosed buildings, or picnic shelters.

o  When indoors stay away from windows and doors. Stay away from concrete and cement that might contain wire mesh or wire bars. Don’t use corded phones, or have contact with electrical equipment or cords or washers/dryers. Prevent contact with plumbing – no showers or laundry during thunderstorms.

o  Stay in the shelter for at least 30 minutes after the last sounds of thunder.

The Human Papillomavirus Virus (HPV) is spread by having sex. A lot of sexually active young men and women in their late teens or early 20s are infected with HPV. Most HPV infections don’t have any symptoms and the infection goes away on its own. But, HPV infection may cause  cervical cancer and genital warts. Cervical cancer can sometimes lead to death.

The HPV vaccine protects against the 4 major kinds of HPV infection. These cause most cervical cancers and genital warts. It’s advised for girls and women ages 11 to 26.

Consult with your primary care provider about receiving the HPV vaccine when –  

o  Are 26 or younger and haven’t already received the vaccination

The HPV vaccine is a series of 3 shots given over 6 months.

The vaccine is safe. You won’t get HPV from the vaccine. After each shot you might have some discomfort, redness or swelling were the needle went in, or a mild fever.

Regular screening for cervical cancer with a PAP smear is important, even when you receive the HPV vaccine. Consult with your healthcare team about getting screened.

Kind 2 diabetes develops when the body doesn’t properly use insulin.   In response, the pancreas produces more insulin.  Over time, the pancreas won’t make enough insulin for the body’s needs.  This leads to increased amounts of glucose in the blood while the cells are starved of energy.  After a while, the high blood glucose damages nerves and blood vessels.  This damage can result in complications.  Heart disease, blood vessel disease, kidney disease, nerve problems, and gum infections can result.  These problems can lead to stroke, blindness, and amputation.

What are the signs and signs for type 2 diabetes?

Many individuals  have no signs or symptoms.  Symptoms can also be so mild that you might not even notice them.  More than six million individuals  in the U.S. have type 2 diabetes and don’t know it.  Here’s what to look for – o                                                              

o  Increased thirst

o  Increased hunger

o  Fatigue

o  Increased urination, especially at night

o  Weight loss

o  Blurred vision

o  Sores that don’t heal

Sometimes individuals  have symptoms but don’t think they have diabetes.  They delay scheduling a checkup because they don’t feel sick.  Many individuals  don’t find out they have the illness until they create problems like blurry vision or heart trouble.  the earlier you find out that you have diabetes, the better.  Treatment can prevent damage to the body from diabetes.

How can type 2 diabetes be prevented?

Keeping blood glucose levels close to normal helps to delay or prevent complications.  But, it’s better to prevent or delay the development of kind 2 diabetes.  Some changes that could reduce  the risk of diabetes are –

o  Reach and maintain a reasonable body weight

o  Make wise food options most of the time

o  Be physically active every day

o  Make certain to take prescribed medications as directed