You will start taking oral medication and insulin injections as the disease progresses:
Tablets
Insulin injections
Tablets
- Help control you blood glucose levels
- Your doctor will be able to advice you upon which tablet to take, how often you should take it and how much.
- For example, you may take Biguanide, which:
- Helps lower blood glucose levels
- Reduces the amount of stored glucose that would be released by the liver
- Slows the absorption of glucose in the intestine
- Helps the body become more sensitive to insulin, so that it's more effective
- You will begin your management at a low dose and it will be increased slowly
- If you're overweight you will most likely be prescribed this as it helps manage you weight as well
- It may contribute to hypoglycaemia when used in combination to insulin injections
- For example, you may take Biguanide, which:
Insulin injections
- When the beta cells in your pancreas are no longer producing enough insulin by themselves, these injections will compensate the body and provide insulin
- Insulin can only be injected, as if taken orally, the stomach will destroy the proteins
- It is injected into the fatty tissue, usually around your tummy as it absorbs insulin the fastest, however people also inject it into their buttocks or thighs
Lifestyle changes in favour of physical activity, healthy eating and weight reduction will help keep your blood glucose levels as close to the target range of 4.0-7.8 mmol/L (millimoles) as possible to prevent both short-term and long-term complications.
Eating well
Regular blood glucose monitoring tests
Regular checks of your:
Eating well
- Helps manage your blood glucose levels and your body weight
- Diabetics do not need to eat any differently to the average, healthy person, as long as they are being healthy and following the Australian Dietary Guidelines:
- Exercise and eat nutritious foods and drinks needed to meet your energy requirements
- Eat a wide variety of nutritious foods every day, from the five food groups and drink plenty of water
- Vegetables of different colours
- Fruit
- Grains
- Protein- lean meat, poultry, nuts
- Dairy
- Limit foods containing saturated fat, added salt and sugars and alcohol
- Replace foods of saturated fat, with polyunsaturated fats like:
- Oils, spreads, nut butters/ pastes and avocado
- Limit confectionary and other added sugar foods
- Replace foods of saturated fat, with polyunsaturated fats like:
- Its recommended to see a dietician for personal advice on your eating habits
- Helps insulin work more effectively
- Lowers blood pressure
- Reduces the risk of heart disease
Regular blood glucose monitoring tests
- Help you to better understand the relationship between your blood glucose levels, the exercise you do, what you eat and insulin
- i.e You can see how exercise, and what type of exercise helps you to balance your blood glucose levels
- It'll help your doctor determine the best management strategy
- You can get your own blood testing kit to monitor multiple times a day
- Hyperglycaemia= blood glucose levels are too high
- Hypoglycaemia= blood glucose levels are too low
Regular checks of your:
- Eyes
- Feet (blood supply and nerves)
- Heart
- Blood pressure
- Kidneys