Strict control of blood glucose will reduce rate of eye, foot, and skin complications, heart disease, hypertension, infection, hearing loss, neuropathy, nephropathy, and stroke associated with diabetes.
Diabetes Education
- Primary care clinic: The primary care clinic including physician, nursing, and equipment companies are responsible for initial teaching of diabetes care.
- Physician: Physicians in primary care or Endocrinology direct new diabetics with prescriptions and instructions for timing of medication, insulin, and basic dietary teaching. The physician will continue monitoring of progress in glucose control and determine appropriate follow-up intervals.
- Nursing: Responsible for teaching glucose checks, self-injections of insulin, timing of glucose checks, and timing of insulin.
- Equipment companies often provide patient instructions for their products.
- Diabetes educator: Consult a dietitian specializing in formal classes in diabetes education.
- Highly Recommended: CDC National Diabetes Education Program resource: 4 Steps to Manage Your Diabetes For Life
Dietary changes and weight loss improves glucose control in diabetes:
Eliminate all concentrated sweets and sugars from the diet. Consume small meals frequently rather than large meals. Avoid large amount of carbohydrates in each meal. Use the following diet guidelines in Medline Plus. Also, please see the section on weight loss.