How We Aim To Manage Diabetes
HOW WE AIM TO MANAGE DIABETES
The overall aim of management is for you, the person with diabetes, to feel as well as possible in all aspects of your life. General aims of management will vary with each person, depending on age, other health problems, psychological and social factors. The aims for most people are to:
1. Relieve feelings experienced when blood glucose are too high or too low.
In all people with diabetes the aim should be avoidance of low and high blood glucose levels.
Low blood glucose levels (hypoglycaemia), occurs when the glucose levels less than 3.5 mmols. High blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia), occurs when the glucose level is consistently over 10 mmols. High glucose levels often make you feel tired.
2. Prevent or delay long–term complications. It has been proven that high blood glucose levels over an extended period of time, contributes to developing diabetes complications. Therefore good control should be the aim of management.
For more information on complications go to Complications of diabetes.
3. Assist in psychological adjustment, and improve quality of life as well as quantity of life.
Management is an active partnership between people with diabetes, their family and their diabetes health care team. Management involves education for the person with diabetes and other family members in order to:
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
- Achieve acceptable blood glucose levels.
- Ensure blood fats (eg. Cholesterol, triglycerides etc.) are within a healthy range.
- Prevent complications of diabetes, and
- Maintain an independent healthy lifestyle where the person is able to manage the necessary day-to-day tasks required to achieve healthy diabetes control.
Sources: 'Care of people with diabetes', Trisha Dunning 1994, 'Diabetes: a handbook for health professionals', Matthew Cohen, 1996.
Modified by Wendy Livingstone