After receiving a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus by his family doctor, En. Hafiz wonders what this diagnosis entails. Can he live a normal life as before? Working hard to provide for his family, En. Hafiz wants to tackle this condition seriously.
In Malaysia, 1 in 5 adults over the age of 18 has diabetes.
That is a huge number, and it is expected to rise over the coming years.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that does not only rely on medications to treat. It requires the individual themselves to take steps in changing aspects of their lifestyle.
The aim of managing diabetes is to keep the blood sugar levels under control and prevent the development of complications.
So, what will En. Hafiz need to do?
Eat healthily
Having diabetes interferes with the way our body controls blood sugar levels.
The aim of eating well is to keep the blood sugar levels from rapidly “spiking” after a meal. Foods that cause a spike in blood sugar levels are termed “high glycemic index” foods.
Examples are white bread, white rice, and fruit juice. In contrast, “low glycemic index” foods are digested slower and do not have as big an impact on blood sugars after eating.
En. Hafiz enjoys eating sandwiches every morning before work. What he can do is replace the white bread with whole-grain bread, which has a lower glycemic index.
Similarly, we can replace our staple food, white rice with a healthier alternative, brown rice!
Get active!
An increase in physical activity can improve blood sugar control, help with maintaining weight, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. By being active, a person can not only combat diabetes but also improve their overall health.
So, what kind of exercise is good? Any kind that is accessible. An individual should choose the activities that he/she can maintain over some time. Not everyone has access to a local gym or swimming pool, but we can always jog around our neighbourhood.
Consistency is the key to maintaining health.
Here are some recommendations:
- Aerobic exercises – This category encompasses activities that improve the cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels). Brisk walking, cycling, and running are examples.
- Sports – If you would like to enjoy activities with family or friends, you can take up certain sports. Aside from improving your health, you get to pick up a skill! Examples are tennis, badminton, and football.
- Resistance exercises – Activities such as lifting weights can help increase muscle strength and endurance. It is recommended to perform this activity at least 3 times a week.
- Household chores – If you are not actively engaging in exercise, any activity that can increase energy expenditure is a plus. Examples are gardening, mopping the floor and cleaning windows
En. Hafiz feels discouraged. He works long hours every day and is not able to squeeze in time for exercise. Is there another option?
There are unfortunately no shortcuts out of getting proper exercise. However, there are always periods in a day when we get some downtime.
Before leaving for work, En. Hafiz can set a goal of doing a 10-minute jog or a couple of squats. It may feel tiring and pointless initially, but over time, it becomes an important health-maintaining routine in his day.
Take your medications
This may sound obvious. However, regularly taking medications prove to be difficult for many diabetics.
Not taking medications as required can increase the risk of developing complications such as foot ulcers and vision problems. The doctor may also need to increase the dosage or the number of medications you need to take.
For En. Hafiz, taking his diabetes medication may be the last thing on his mind. However, some tips can help make it a habit.
- Reminder apps – There are plenty of free phone apps that can help remind us to take our medications on time. An example is the pill reminder from the app store.
- Take medications together with a routine activity – We can set a time or activity to take our medications with. This will help us get used to taking medications in our daily routine. Example, En. Hafiz can plan to take his morning medications right after brushing his teeth.
- Pillboxes – This is a container to organize your medications. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Most common is the 7-day pillbox which lets you keep track of the medications you have taken throughout the week. Certain boxes come with extra rows such as morning, noon, and evening. This is especially useful if you need to take several different medications at different times in the day.
- Get the family to help – Family members can help remind us to take our medications on time. They can also support diabetics as they adjust to lifestyle changes.
Routine checkups
Let us say that En. Hafiz starts eating right, exercising regularly, and is taking his medications as prescribed by the doctor. His blood sugars are well controlled. Does he still need to see the doctor? Well… the answer is yes.
Often, we may not know what is going on inside our bodies. Despite adequate blood sugar control, we may be unaware of any signs that the illness is progressing. For this reason, diabetics are encouraged to go for health checkups annually to detect and treat any complications that arise.
Examples:
- Blood test – Your blood will be tested for parameters such as kidney function, liver function and cholesterol levels are within normal limits.
- Eye checkups – The doctors will examine the eyes using a fundoscopy device for any signs of diabetic retinopathy (eye problems related to diabetes). They will also check if you have any vision loss.
- Urine dipstick test – This test helps screen for any protein in the urine. It may be a sign of diabetes affecting our kidneys.
- Nerve examination – Long term diabetes can cause problems in the nerves. The doctor will conduct tests to detect any loss of sensation in the extremities.
- Foot examination – Some diabetics experience a loss of sensation in their feet. Hence, they may bump into objects and unknowingly injuring themselves. They may develop ulcers that are difficult to heal. If these ulcers are not managed well, an amputation may be necessary.
These checkups will give En. Hafiz a peace of mind that his diabetes is well controlled.
Managing diabetes can be a challenge, but your health is a worthy investment!
References:
- National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019 by the National Institute of Health (NIH), Ministry of Health Malaysia
- https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/eat-well/meal-plan-method.html
- https://www.moh.gov.my/moh/resources/Penerbitan/CPG/Endocrine/3a.pdf
- https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/managing-diabetes/4-steps#step3
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23814461/
- https://www.singlecare.com/blog/best-medication-reminder-apps/
- https://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/why-you-need-take-your-medications-prescribed-or-instructed
- https://www.drugs.com/article/taking-your-medicine.html
