Diabetes affects approximately 29 million people in America. Most of those sufferers (as much as 95 percent) will have ‘type II diabetes,’ which means they are insulin resistant. This is different to type I diabetes, wherein the patient produces no insulin at all. In other words, those who have type II diabetes cannot use the insulin their body produces in the right way, and they might not make enough. This, in turn, means their blood sugar levels are at unhealthy levels.
Although diabetes in all its forms is incurable, it is manageable and, if taken care of in the right way, it shouldn’t affect day-to-day life in too negative a manner. For example, it is common for those with Type II Diabetes that suffer from obesity to undergo gastric sleeve surgery in Newcastle. This weight loss procedure treats the leading cause of Type II Diabetes, obesity, to reduce its impact on the body and symptoms and make it significantly more manageable. Even so daily management is still important, this is especially true when there is enough support given. Which is why, if you know someone who has any form of diabetes, knowing how to help them if they need assistance is valuable. Read on to find out more.
Healthy Eating
Although diabetes differs from many other conditions in various ways, there is one thing at least that it has in common with a lot of diseases and health problems, and that is one of the best ways to stay on top of potentially problematic symptoms is a healthy diet.
When you eat the right foods, you can stimulate insulin production, which means there is less need for medication, and your blood sugar levels will reduce. This will reduce your symptoms hugely, and since some of the side effects of diabetes that goes unmanaged includes cataracts for which cataract surgery may be required or even limb amputation.
If you are trying to help someone with diabetes, ensuring they have a good, healthy diet is essential. This can be a big challenge, especially if they previously enjoyed a lot of unhealthy food, and this is why they may need support and guidance.
Medication
As we’ve mentioned above, medication isn’t always required when you suffer from diabetes, but some people will need to inject themselves with insulin – it will depend on what the doctor says is best. If your friend or loved one needs to take insulin each day, they might be nervous about giving themselves a shot (insulin is injected), or perhaps they are unable to do it due to a disability. In that case, you can learn how to do it and assist them.
You can also talk to them about self-medication. It’s never a good thing to self-medication for diabetes (or any other condition), and if you are concerned they might be going down that route with either legal or illegal drugs, you’ll need to speak to them and try to persuade them to stop. This can be hard, so professional help may be required too.
Support
Even if your friend or family member is able to take care of their own diet and medication, that doesn’t mean they won’t need your support as well. Being diagnosed with diabetes is a potentially very upsetting time full of confusion and fear. Having someone there for support can make a huge difference, and if you can be that support, you’ll know you’re doing all you can for your friend.
If you can’t physically be there for your loved one, you can speak on the phone or via video messaging, or you could pass on details of some local diabetes support groups, which could be very useful indeed.
