Diabetes - 5 tips to get your sugar under control

Diabetes - 5 tips to get your sugar under control

Are you one of the many diabetics who have trouble controlling your blood sugar? Is your doctor unhappy with your A1C levels no matter what you do?

Chances are, the situation isn't as hopeless as it seems. With sufficient information and motivation, every type II diabetic can bring their results in line with current recommendations. So the question is: Do you have sufficient information and motivation?

Here are 5 practical tips to get your sugar under control.

1. Adapt to reality. Patients often tell their doctors that they are taking their medications as prescribed, even though they are not. None of us like being scolded by a parental figure. But who are you fooling, your doctor or yourself? Instead of thinking of your doctor as an authority figure, think of your doctor as a partner or advisor in your health care. If your doctor has prescribed a medication that you don't want to take, talk so you can both find a better solution. If you can never remember your evening insulin dose, discuss a realistic dosing schedule with your doctor, who may switch you to a different type of insulin or combine it with an oral medication. If it's too difficult to give yourself an injection, find a way for someone else to give it. If your pills cause side effects, ask your doctor to switch you to a different one instead of simply not taking them. If you can't pay for your medication, ask your doctor to switch you to something cheaper or check into a patient assistance program.

2. Find out about the glycemic index.Many diabetics believe that sugar is the only food to avoid. That is far from the truth. Other carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels as quickly and as high as the sugar itself. The glycemic index is also not the final answer - also find out about the glycemic load. While cantaloupes and croissants may have similar glycemic index listings, croissants are much easier to consume than cantaloupes. Total calorie consumption is at least as important as the glycemic index of a particular food.

3. Just eat less.If learning about glycemic index and glycemic load is too difficult, just eat less. Eat less of everything and your sugar is sure to improve. If you have a Big Mac and large fries for lunch, cut to a cheeseburger and small fries - not the healthiest diet, but an improvement nonetheless. If you normally have seconds for dinner, stop after your first serving. Most diabetics became this way through a long-established pattern of overeating. Cut out a third of your calories and watch your numbers improve. Discuss this approach with your doctor first if your medication needs to be adjusted. You also don't want to risk low blood sugar.

4. Switch to insulin.Most diabetics are afraid of the needle. But these days the needles are so small that you can hardly feel them. With so many oral medications available, patients often take two or three different types to delay the start of insulin. This will be costly and the dosing schedule may be complicated. It's often easier to bite the bullet and switch to insulin. There are so many different types that your doctor should find one that suits your needs. Take a diabetic course to learn everything you need to know about insulin injections and blood glucose monitoring.

5. Find out why your blood sugar is too high.Does it only come on in the morning? Only after breakfast? Before dinner? Although it is painful to check your blood sugar several times a day, a short course of treatment should reveal which pattern of hyperglycemia concerns you most. Another approach is to check your fasting blood sugar daily and later in the day, but at different times. If you record the information on a chart or flowchart, your doctor can examine it for patterns and adjust the timing or dosage of your medicine accordingly.

It's really up to you how well your sugar is controlled. Don't fool yourself by avoiding the need to take action. Work with your doctor and take charge of your health care today.

Copyright 2010 Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

Inspired by Cynthia Koelker