BODY SIGNAL ALERT GLUCOSE LEVEL, ELEVATED: TREATMENT
The primary treatment for diabetes, regardless of the cause or the patient’s age, is reducing the sugar in the diet and increasing the amount of exercise. Only if a patient fails to modify his lifestyle will I recommend medication to control the disease. Oral agents in the form of tablets such as Glucotrol, DiaBeta, and Micronase, taken by mouth once or twice a day in dosages of 5 to 10 milligrams, are very effective in controlling the disease when combined with diet and exercise. If, however, the patient fails to control the disease with diet, exercise, and oral medication, insulin injections, which are usually done once a day in the morning, will become necessary.
Because it is both difficult and extremely important to treat diabetes correctly, it is essential that you and your physician approach this illness as a team. In fact, in the beginning, your doctor might suggest that you consult a dietician who regularly works with diabetics as well as an endocrinologist to help you monitor your illness and determine the various steps you need to take in order to control it. Today, there are many home monitoring devices such as blood glucose meters and urinalysis strips that will help you check your blood sugar daily, as well as a variety of insulin regimens. Many hospitals have specialized centers that work with diabetics to help them understand their illness and assist their physicians to ensure the best possible treatment: recommended diet and exercise programs, insulin, oral medication, and emotional support groups are some of the services provided. You should contact your local diabetes society for information about the center nearest you.
Special Mention for the Elderly
In my experience, I’ve seen that eldetly diabetics tend not to control their disease as well as younger people do, due to constant fluctuations in the availability and quality of food, frequently missed meals, and forgetting to take their medication. This can cause two separate problems. (1) Low blood sugar, which can occur in a person who has missed a few meals, can cause a hypoglycemic episode, which can result in falling and confusion. In the long term, this can result in permanent confusion. (2) When blood sugar gets too high, a life-threatening diabetic coma may result. That is why, when I have an elderly diabetic patient, I try to have her install a medical alert call system in case of an emergency.
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