Diabetes is a health condition that makes it difficult for your body to turn food into energy.
When you eat, your body digests the food and breaks some of it down into a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose is your body’s main source of energy. It is absorbed into the blood from your stomach, which causes your blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels to rise. In order for your cells to use the glucose as fuel, they need the help of insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas that acts like a key to help the glucose move out of your blood and into your cells where it is burned for energy.
When you have type 2 diabetes, your body cannot easily move glucose out of your blood and into your cells. This means you need more insulin to keep glucose from building up in your blood. This is called insulin resistance. At first, your pancreas makes extra insulin. But over time, your pancreas isn’t able to keep up and can’t make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose levels normal. Without enough insulin, glucose builds up in your blood and your blood glucose levels become too high.
- When this happens, it can lead to symptoms that include:
- Feeling very thirsty or hungry
- Urinating often
- Feeling very tired, and
- Having blurry vision, among others.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop gradually. Some people with type 2 diabetes have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, and can live for years without knowing they have diabetes. In fact, about 1 out of 4 adults with diabetes don’t know they have it.
Over time, too much glucose in the blood can damage your organs and tissues, which can harm your eyes, kidneys, nerves, or feet. It can also lead to heart disease or stroke. The main goal of diabetes treatment is to keep your blood glucose levels within your target range as much as possible, which can help prevent or delay these potential complications.
You play the most important role in managing your diabetes. Most complications of diabetes can be prevented, delayed, or treated through successful self-management. Managing diabetes is not always easy, but your health care team is there to support you. Working with your team to create a self-management plan can help you live a long and healthy life with diabetes.
There are many positive ways to cope with the challenges related to living with diabetes.
1. Share Your Feelings & Ask for Help
Try sharing your feelings with others and asking for help when you need it. Reach out to your family and friends for support or for help with your diabetes management. Loved ones can help you manage your diabetes by reminding you to take your medications, joining you in being physically active, or by helping you cook healthy meals. You may also consider joining a diabetes support group to connect with people who can relate to your experiences.
2. Pace Yourself & Celebrate Successes
Diabetes management can be overwhelming, so it’s important to pace yourself. Try to focus on one task at a time. Break large goals down into more manageable pieces. And be sure to celebrate your successes, no matter how small.
3. Accept That You Can’t Control Everything
Despite your best efforts, you can’t control everything about your diabetes. Good diabetes management doesn’t mean being “perfect,” it means trying your best. Don’t beat yourself up if you fall short of a goal. Look at what worked and what didn’t and then move on. It’s also helpful to think positively, and remember all the things that you enjoy in life. A positive outlook can help you through the tough times.
4. Take Time to Care for Yourself
Lastly, make sure to take time to care for yourself. Diabetes is only one part of your life – it affects what you do, but it doesn’t define who you are. Take time to do things you enjoy – keep up with your hobbies, and try activities such as exercise to help boost your mood, or meditation to help calm your mind. Keeping up with your spiritual needs can also provide you with a positive outlook that will help you better cope with diabetes.
Positive coping strategies can help you deal with the inevitable bad days, and can help you stay motivated to manage your diabetes.
If you’re struggling to cope with negative feelings, talk to your healthcare provider. He or she can help you determine if what you are going through is a normal response to the stress of managing diabetes, or possibly something more serious.
5. Consult An Expert Who Has Been Treating Ailment Associated With Diabetes Since Last 3 Plus Decades
We at Dynamic Physical Therapy services have been successfully treating dysfunctions as severe as a limb amputation secondary to diabetes. Dr Nilesh Soni has been a clinician for the past 32 years and is one of the leading industry experts in the field of Physical Therapy in New York. His credentials include Doctorate of Physical Therapy from MGH Institute Of Health Sciences, Masters in Physical Therapy from New York University, another Masters in Physical Therapy from University of Bombay, India , and he is a Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist by the American Physical Therapy Association. Dr Soni has mentored hundreds of Physical Therapists and has conducted over 1000 lectures to educate community dwelling older adults. At Dynamic Physical Therapy, Dr Soni has implemented innovative programs such as the Comprehensive Prosthetic training program and hands-on treatment protocols focused on restoring ambulation and other functional use of a prosthetic limb. Please review the following success story of a young diabetic patient. Please call us at 718 395 2393 or visit to schedule a consultation with Dr Soni.