how to prevent complications of diabetes?

When you or your loved one has diabetes, it is of utmost importance that you understand how to prevent these complications.

Here are a few general pointers to keep in mind:

1. You are maintaining good blood sugar control. Irrespective of whatever medications or insulins you might be taking, it is very important to monitor your sugars yourself at home as per your diabetes doctor’s recommendations. The monitoring frequency might vary from once a month to 3-4 times a day, depending on how you are doing and what treatment you are on. It has been seen that people who monitor sugars regularly tend to have better sugar control compared to people who do not.
2. You are keeping your BP (blood pressure) in check. It helps decrease the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney problems and retinopathy as well. It will also help to manage low blood sugar as well on time.
3. You are keeping your cholesterol in check. There is a lot of conflicting news that you would come across when it comes to cholesterol. There is a lot known about the effect of cholesterol on diabetes related complications and still a lot more, which is unknown. As per the latest recommendations worldwide, it is recommended that cholesterol levels be checked for people with diabetes. The ideal level is determined by several factors like your family history, history of smoking, or history of medical problems. So take recommendations from your diabetologist in delhi regarding your cholesterol level goals and whether you need to be on medications for that. If a cholesterol-lowering medicine is recommended for you, you would need to take it long term.
4. Stop smoking. Smoking is a big “NO-NO”! In addition to the known problems associated with smoking, the combination of diabetes and smoking increases your risk of diabetes related complications manifold. Quitting smoking will help decrease the risk of diabetes-associated complications.
5. Regular health checks: In addition to your traditional doctors visit, it is recommended that you get a dental and complete eye check-up once a year for sure, whether you have any problems or not. A lot of diabetes related complications do not have significant symptoms beforehand, so screening for those early on is important.
6. Regularly monitor sugar during pregnancy: Some women develop gestational diabetes while pregnant even who haven't ever been diagnosed with diabetes. It is a condition in which your blood sugar levels become high during pregnancy. If one doesn't take care of it on time then gestational diabetes can affect your baby & you.
7. Vaccination: Just like we recommend vaccines for children to help decrease the risk of certain infections, we recommend certain vaccines for adults with diabetes also help reduce the risk of certain illnesses like Hepatitis B, Influenza, Pneumonia and Tetanus regularly. Discuss regarding vaccination with your doctor in your yearly visit and maintain a record of your vaccinations.
8. Consult your doctor on How to manage diabetes or Sugar Level while on steroids?