Take charge of your diabetes: now more than ever

From 13wham.com/health-matters

In upstate New York, an estimated 440,000 adults live with diabetes and tens of thousands of them jeopardize their health status by failing to take the necessary steps to keep their chronic illness in check.

Diabetes is a serious health condition where the body doesn't produce or properly use insulin to digest sugar (glucose), causing blood sugar levels to rise higher than normal. Without proper management, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney disease, and non-traumatic lower extremity amputation. It's also a major contributor to heart disease and stroke.

Physicians can help manage diabetes, but patients must be active partners who take charge to improve their overall health. Experts recommend the following for managing diabetes:

• Monitor your blood sugar levels
• Watch what you eat
• Take medications as prescribed
• Visit a health professional at least yearly for—an A1C blood test, foot exam for sores or irritations, a complete eye exam, including eye dilation
• Get a flu vaccine
• Stay physically active as approved by your doctor

Bob Russell, the Upstate New York Area Executive Director of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 25 and is keenly aware of the importance of managing the risks associated with diabetes.
"Diabetes can affect anyone at any time," Russell said. "Being aware, paying attention to your body and taking time to take care of yourself is even more important in our current environment."

Diabetes and COVID-19
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions, including diabetes, are at higher risk of experiencing complications from COVID-19.
"Managing our diabetes now is critically important," said Russell. "This virus poses a challenge to those of us who are living with diabetes."

Generally, people with diabetes are more likely to experience severe symptoms and complications from a virus. However, the ADA says the risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 is likely to be lower if diabetes is well-managed.

If you have diabetes, the CDC recommends the following steps to help prevent COVID-19-related complications:
1. Stick to your daily routine, which includes taking medications as prescribed and insulin as usual.
2. Test your blood sugar every four hours and keep track of your results.
3. Make sure you have at least a two-week supply of your diabetes medication and insulin.
4. Follow sickday guidelines for people with diabetes.
As always, check in with your doctor or health care team if you have questions or concerns about managing your condition or if you are feeling sick.
The CDC and ADA offer these everyday precautions to help keep you healthy:

• Stay home, if possible.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
• If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places
• Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, cell phones).
• Practice social distancing, avoid close contact and stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms' length) from other people.
• Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick.
• Cover you mouth and nose with a mask or cloth face cover when around others.
• Avoid all non-essential travel including plane trips, and especially avoid embarking on cruise ships.

Stay Connected
Social interaction is as important as social distancing, especially for those with a chronic condition. "With what's going on, it's easy for us to get stressed or even panicked," Russell said. "Connect with friends or loved ones. We have to focus on our spirit and our psyche. It's good for our mental health."
He encourages those with diabetes or any chronic condition to reach out to support organizations for help.

https://13wham.com/health-matters/a-healthier-rochester/take-charge-of-your-diabetes-now-more-than-ever