Diabetes Treatment

The goal of diabetes treatment is to keep blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible. Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes eating a healthy diet, exercising, and taking insulin. Treatment for type 2 includes living a healthy lifestyle and monitoring blood glucose levels. Self management is a key component for managing this condition, and includes meal planning, planned physical activity, and blood glucose monitoring.

Diabetes Treatments

Treating Diabetes: An Overview

Too much glucose (sugar) in the blood for a long time can cause diabetes. This high blood glucose (also called blood sugar) can damage many parts of the body, such as the:

Heart
Blood vessels
Eyes
Kidneys.

Heart and blood vessel disease can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Therefore, diabetes treatment is aimed at keeping blood glucose levels as close to the normal range as safely possible. Studies have shown that doing this reduces the risk of developing major complications associated with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Self-Management of Diabetes Treatment

Self-management is a key component of

treating diabetes. This refers to the ongoing process of managing the condition. This includes:

Planning meals
Planning physical activity
Monitoring blood glucose
Taking diabetes medication
Handling episodes of illness and of low and high blood glucose
Managing diabetes when traveling.

The person with diabetes designs his or her own self-management treatment plan in consultation with a variety of healthcare professionals, such as:

Doctors
Nurses
Dietitians
Pharmacists.

(Diabetes Treatment Continued: Page 2)