Tips on Caring for your Diabetes
There are numerous things that can be done when it comes to caring for your diabetic condition. Making the most of your available options earlier or even prior to the onset of type 2 diabetes can delay the condition substantially. Exercise, for example, burns calories and creates a much smaller chance or likelihood that carbohydrate consumption will cause elevated blood sugar levels.
Elevated blood sugar levels are the enemy of the diabetic. The organs and mechanisms in our bodies have been graciously endowed with survival skills that rival creation itself. The problem is that while these organs and mechanisms survive, they do so without regard to the overall functionality of the body as a whole.
Take the eyes for example. When our blood sugar levels go up, the blood vessels in the eyes become oxygen deprived. The survival mechanism for the blood vessel is to grow more blood vessels to replace the deprived oxygen levels. Not considering the effect on the entire body, the eye grows these new blood vessels directly in the path of the vision process. When these blood vessels eventually leak, they do so in the part of our eye that contains the clear liquid through which we normally see. Thus begins our battle with what is commonly referred to as diabetic retinopathy.
The process to prevent this is to assure that sugar levels are maintained properly. If there is a history of onset diabetes in the family, get checked often so that this does not unknowingly cause damage. Remember, there are no symptoms when blood sugar levels begin to creep up. By the time you begin to feel bad, the damage to the eyes, kidneys and heart has already occurred, at least to some degree.
The process begins with regular check ups by a qualified physician. The idea that you don't feel bad so there is nothing wrong with you will only make the problem worse down the line. Care for your body and you can still maintain health though proper diet, exercise, and medications when necessary.
Article by Paul Veilleux
Note: I learned all this the hard way.
