Features Related to Diabetes
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Diabetes and Wounds: Caring for Sores
Every 30 seconds, somewhere in the world, someone loses a lower limb as a result of diabetes. That's because diabetes and wounds are a dangerous combination. If you have diabetes, there's no such thing as a minor wound to the foot -- even a small foot sore can turn into an ulcer that, if not properl
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Diabetes Wound Care Checklist: What's in Your First Aid Kit?
Injuries that are minor in a healthy person can have severe consequences when you have diabetes, so good wound care is essential. Because of reduced circulation and problems with sensation (neuropathy), people with diabetes are at a much higher risk for complications from ordinary, everyday cuts and
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Diabetes Care: Managing Your Time When You Have Diabetes
Sometimes, living with diabetes can seem like a full-time job -- trying to keep up with everything you need to do for proper diabetes care. "Diabetes is a very time-consuming disease to manage well," says Karmeen Kulkarni, MS, RD, CDE, and former president of health care and education for the Ameri
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The Diabetes and Sleep Connection
It's past midnight. You're out of clean clothes, and you haven't finished that report for work. Though the alarm clock will ring in six hours, you cram in a load of laundry and spend another bleary-eyed hour at the computer. It's the only way to stay on top of a busy life, right? While skimping on s
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Accepting My Diabetes
When I was a little kid, my mother said I used to put sugar on everything, even Frosted Flakes. I loved sugar and for 14 glorious years I ate it without consequence. That all changed suddenly one day in 1986 when I failed a swim team physical and landed in the hospital. I had type 1 diabetes. The ho
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Diabetic Diet: 6 Foods That May Help Control Blood Sugar
Coffee and cinnamon have made headlines recently as foods that might be able to cut the risk of diabetes or help to improve blood sugar levels. But don't get the idea that such foods are magic bullets for your diabetic diet, experts warn. "None of this is a magic potion for diabetes," says American
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6 Ways to Support a Spouse With Diabetes
When Gerri Weiss's husband, Michael, learned 22 years ago that he had type 1 diabetes, she faced what she calls one of the toughest challenge of her life: how to support her husband through a disease that often overwhelmed both of them. With 21 million Americans now diagnosed with diabetes, Weiss ha
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Hugh Herr
By Charles P. Pierce You can barely hear him over the hum of the machines, a low thrumming that is general throughout the halls and laboratories of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. You have to lean forward a little when Hugh Herr talks about the arms and legs that he makes here in the MIT
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Saving on the Cost of Diabetes Care
Carol Phillips has a problem -- a big one, but a common one. She is grappling with the cost of diabetes. At the end of May, her COBRA benefits from a former employer will run out, and she will join the ranks of more than 43 million Americans without health insurance. Because she was recently diagnos
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Convenient Care: The Insulin Pump
There's no substitute for the body's own blood sugar control mechanism, but insulin pumps may be the next best thing, say diabetes experts. An insulin pump is a compact, pager-sized, computerized device that can be worn on a belt. It is connected to the body via a flexible plastic tube through which
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Is This Normal? Get the Facts Fast!
Answer:
0-69
70-130
131+
Your level is currently
If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.
However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.
Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.
One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Did You Know Your Lifestyle Choices
Affect Your Blood Sugar?
Use the Blood Glucose Tracker to monitor
how well you manage your blood sugar over time.
This tool is not intended for women who are pregnant.
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