HERE'S THE FACTS.
Things to Be Aware of as a Diabetic in the South
THE ABCS
According to UpToDate (2017), an easy way to stay healthy with your diabetes is to remember your ABCs.
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"A" is for A1C - This is a blood test that measures how well you are controlling your blood sugar over a few months. A1C should be under 7%.
"B" is for blood pressure - Managing your blood pressure is just as important as managing your diabetes. Diabetics are 2-3 times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. Blood pressure should be 140/90 or lower.
"C" is for cholesterol - High cholesterol is another factor that increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, or other serious problems. LDL cholesterol should be below 100.​
HOW DO I MANAGE MY ABCS
According to UpToDate (2017), manage your ABCs by following these guidelines:
​Be sure to take your medication as ordered.
Quit smoking
Exercise
Eat healthy
Weight Loss
Do not drink alcohol
Monitor blood pressure and blood sugar
BARRIERS
A diabetic diet is perceived to be the most challenging aspect of diabetes management (Beverly, Ritholz, Wray, Chiu, & Suhl, 2017, p. 1). Barriers to following a healthy diabetic diet include lack of friend and family support, cost, difficulty in determing appropriate portion sizes, lack of knowledge about diet plans, negative emotions, age-related changes, time constraints, feelings of deprivation, and competing priorities (Beverly, Ritholz, Wray, Chiu, & Suhl, 2017, p. 1-2.)
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT
Diabetes can cause stress on an individual and their family. Distress such as shock, guilt, anger, anxiety, and helplessness are particularly high at diagnosis but may continue long term. Individuals with type 2 diabetes have a greater risk of developing major depressive disorders. The majority of psychological problems may include the fear of developing complications, social and financial impact of managing diabetes, and the burden placed on family members. If not addressed, this may cause inadequate self-care, poor diet choices, sedentary lifestyle, and poorly managed diabetic treatment regimen (Watson et al., 2018).