Diabetes Guide for Seniors
Diabetes affects more than 21 million Americans and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. With age, the risk of having diabetes increases greatly, and more than one in five senior citizens suffers from the disease.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a group of diseases associated with high levels of glucose in the blood. Glucose comes from the food you eat and is also made in your liver and muscles. Your blood carries the glucose to all the cells in your body. Insulin is a chemical (a hormone) made by the pancreas. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood. Insulin helps the glucose from food get into your cells. If your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or if the insulin doesn’t work the way it should, glucose can’t get into your cells. It stays in your blood instead. Your blood glucose level then gets too high, causing pre-diabetes or diabetes. People can get diabetes at any age. There are 3 main types of diabetes.
Types of Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes
Formerly called juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes. It is usually first diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults. With this form of diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas no longer make insulin because the body’s immune system has attacked and destroyed them. Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes taking insulin, making wise food choices, being physically active, taking aspirin daily (for some), and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.
Type 2 Diabetes
Formerly called adult-onset diabetes or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes. People can develop type 2 diabetes at any age—even during childhood. This form of diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which fat, muscle, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin. In time, however, it loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals. Being overweight and inactive increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Treatment includes using diabetes medicines, making wise food choices, being physically active, taking aspirin daily, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.
Gestational Diabetes
Some women develop gestational diabetes during the late stages of pregnancy. Although this form of diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born, a woman who has had it is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Gestational diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin.
Pre-Diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a condition in which there is an elevated level of glucose in the blood but the level is not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and for heart disease and stroke. However, with modest weight loss and moderate physical activity, people with pre-diabetes can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes or even return blood glucose levels to normal.
What are the signs of diabetes?
The signs of diabetes are
- being very thirsty
- urinating often
- feeling very hungry or tired
- losing weight without trying
- having sores that heal slowly
- having dry, itchy skin
- losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your feet
- having blurry eyesight
You may have had one or more of these signs before you found out you had diabetes. Or you may have had no signs at all. A blood test to check your glucose levels will show if you have pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Diabetes can cause serious complications and even lead to premature death, but people with diabetes can take steps to control their disease and reduce the risk of serious complications.
Controlling Diabetes
Why do you need to take care of your diabetes?
After many years, diabetes can lead to serious problems with your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and gums and teeth. But the most serious problem caused by diabetes is heart disease. When you have diabetes, you are more than twice as likely as people without diabetes to have heart disease or a stroke.
If you have diabetes, your risk of a heart attack is the same as someone who has already had a heart attack. Both women and men with diabetes are at risk. You may not even have the typical signs of a heart attack.
You can reduce your risk of developing heart disease by controlling your blood pressure and blood fat levels, and if you smoke, you should quit immediately. Remember that every positive lifestyle choice you make now will help to maximize your health and well-being as you get older.
Later in this guide, we’ll tell you how you can try to prevent or delay long-term problems. The best way to take care of your health is to work with your health care team to keep your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol in your target range.
You should do these four things every day to control high blood glucose: Follow your meal plan, be physically active, take your diabetes medicine, and check your blood glucose level.
Experts say most people with diabetes should try to keep their blood glucose level as close as possible to the level of someone who doesn’t have diabetes. The closer to normal your blood glucose is, the lower your chances are of developing serious health problems. Check with your doctor about the right range for you. Your health care team will help you learn how to reach your target blood glucose range. Your main health care providers are your doctor, nurse, diabetes educator, and dietitian.
Controlling Diabetes with Diet and Exercise
Follow your meal plan
People with diabetes should have their own meal plan. Ask your doctor to give you the name of a dietitian who can work with you to develop a meal plan. Your dietitian can help you plan meals that include foods that you and your family like to eat and that are good for you too. Ask your dietitian to include foods that are heart-healthy to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Your diabetes meal plan will include breads, cereals, rice, and grains; fruits and vegetables; meat and meat substitutes; dairy products; and fats. People with diabetes don’t need to eat special foods. The foods on your meal plan are good for everyone in your family! Making wise food choices will help you reach and stay at a weight that is good for your body, keep your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol under control, and prevent hear and blood vessel disease.
Be physically active
Physical activity is good for your diabetes. Walking, swimming, dancing, riding a bicycle, playing baseball, and bowling are all good ways to be active. You can even get exercise when you clean house or work in your garden. Physical activity is especially good for people with diabetes because it is good for your heart and lungs, it helps insulin work better to lower blood glucose, it helps keep your weight down, and it gives you more energy all day long.
Before you begin exercising, talk with your doctor. Your doctor may check your heart and your feet to be sure you have no special problems. If you have high blood pressure or eye problems, some exercises like weightlifting may not be safe. Your health care team can help you find safe exercises. Try to be active almost every day for a total of about 30 minutes. If you haven’t been very active lately, begin slowly. Start with 5 to 10 minutes, and then add more time. Or exercise for 10 minutes, three times a day. If your blood glucose is less than 100 to 120, have a snack before you exercise. Being active helps you feel better. When you exercise, carry glucose tablets or a carbohydrate snack with you in case you get hypoglycemia. Wear or carry an identification tag or card saying that you have diabetes.
Controlling Diabetes with Medication & Glucose Testing
Take your medicine as directed by your doctor
There are three different types of diabetes medicine that can help control blood glucose levels: Pills, Insulin and other injectable medicines.
- Diabetes pills may be used to help control glucose levels if your body makes enough insulin, but the insulin is not effective in lowering your glucose level.
- Insulin may be used if your body does not make insulin or does not make enough of it. Insulin may be taken with a needle and syringe, with an insulin pen, with an insulin jet injector, with an insulin pump, with an insulin infuser or by inhaling a form of powdered insulin.
- Other injectable medicines may be used to help control blood glucose levels.
Your doctor will know which medicine is right for you. Whichever medicine you take, you should carefully follow your doctor’s advice, and tell your doctor right away if you feel sick or if you have any other problems.
Check Your Blood Glucose as Recommended
Your goal is to control your diabetes. The best way to find out how well you are controlling your diabetes is to check your blood glucose level. If your glucose level is too high or too low, your doctor may need to change your meal plan, exercise plan or your medicine. Your doctor will teach you how to check your blood glucose level and tell you how often your should check it. Some people check it only once a day, and others check it many times a day. You may have to check it before and after meals, and at other times of the day or night.
Blood glucose levels are tested with a special meter called a glucometer. A small drop of blood obtained by pricking the skin with a lancet is placed on a disposable test strip. The strip is then placed in the meter and the result appears on the display when the measurement is complete, which takes between five and sixty seconds, depending on the meter.
You may also have to check your urine with test strips to see how well you are controlling your diabetes.
The A1C test is another blood glucose test to see how well your diabetes is being controlled. It shows your overall level of blood glucose for the past three months. This test is usually done at least every six months.