Attention to Body's Well Being

Heart Care

Please refer more about heart and heart related diseases here
Diabetes and Heart Diseases


Skin Care

Please refer more about Skin Care and related complications here
Diabetes and Skin Complications


Eye Care

Please refer more about Eye Care and related complications here
Diabetic Retinopathy

Stress Management & Diabetes

Exercising, eating well, achieving normal blood glucose and blood pressure can help to reduce your stress level.

Learning to manage stress in a positive way is extremely important for your well-being. Stress, shortand long-term, has a big effect on your diabetes. Do yourself a favor and learn about managing stress. You will be healthier and feel healthier when you manage your stress well.


Major Life Events causes stress

• Death of a family member.
• Jail sentence.
• Partner is not faithful.
• Bankruptcy.
• Fired from job.
• Miscarriage or stillbirth.
• Divorce.
• Unwanted pregnancy.
• Serious illness.
• Demotion.
• Lawsuit.
• Poor grades.
• Fights with boss.
• Move to a new place.
• Menopause.
• Retirement.
• Child leaves home.
• Birth of child.
• Marriage.
• Pregnancy.

Note that “good” events, such as marriage can also be stressful, because people need to adjust to something new. “Even happy events can be stressful.”

Life is full of daily hassles that cause stress. Hassles are those things that happen on a regular basis. The list below shows a few examples of these. In the blank lines at the end, fill in some of the “hassles” in your life.

Some Daily Hassles

• Minor money problems.
• Car trouble.
• Rude people.
• Fights with partner.
• Traffic jams.
• Bad weather.
• Home repairs.
• Arranging childcare.
• Housework.
• Loud children.

What To Do

• Know the causes of stress in your life (your job, your children, money).
• Identify the stress signals (headaches, nervousness, or trouble sleeping).
• Create peaceful times in your everyday schedule. (For example, set aside an hour where you can get away from other people and your usual environment.)
• Try new relaxation methods and stick with the best one for you.
• Rehearse and visualize your relaxation plan. Put your plan into action. Change your plan as needed.
• Seek and learn relaxation techniques such as progressive relaxation.

Quit Smoking and Remain Smoke Free

People who have a lot of stress tend to have a harder time quitting smoking. This is also true for people who are prone to negative moods, such as sadness and anxiety. We also know that when ex-smokers start smoking again, they often have their first cigarette in response to stress or moods (see box on next page). People who are depressed are twice as likely as others to be smokers. They also have a harder time quitting and saying quit. Why do smokers deal with stress by smoking?

Nicotine causes the brain to release chemicals, called neurotransmitters. Some of these chemicals, such as beta-endorphin and norepinephrine, can cause a person to feel better, but only for a short time. They can improve your mood for a while. So, smoking can serve as a quick “pick-me-up.” Indeed, nicotine is a stimulant, which is why a smoker’s pulse gets faster after a cigarette.


Ways to Deal with Stress and Negative Moods

Deal with the Problem

One good way to cope with life’s challenges is to try to deal directly with the problem facing you. Look at the source of the problem. Think about ways to solve it, and then act.


Do Other Activities

There are other things besides smoking that can reduce stress. These include: reading, exercise, relaxation, deep breathing, prayer, meditation, or taking a walk. All of these can take your mind off of a stressful situation. They also can improve your mood.


Talk to Someone

One of the best ways to deal with stress is to talk to someone. Most of us do this, by talking to friends, family, or co-workers. Other people like to join a support group. Often the people in a support group have the same types of problems, and they can help each other out.


Accept Temporary Stress

A certain amount of stress is a part of life. Success at quitting smoking may mean simply getting used to what stress feels like without smoking. You will learn that the feeling of stress will pass on its own even if you do not have a cigarette. Because smokers often have a cigarette when they feel stressed, they may forget that these feelings will get better on their own.


Look at Your Life

The methods just listed should help you deal with stress in your life. But another way is to change your lifestyle to reduce the number of stressors. Is your life more stressful than it has to be? Clearly, there are some stressors that people may have little control over. However, many types of stressors result from choices that we make about our lives. Ask yourself if there are ways to reduce the stress in your life. Ask yourself if there are ways to get more good things from life.

Commmon Concern

When You're Sick

It’s important to take care of your diabetes even when you’re ill. Here are some tips on what to do:

• Even if you can’t keep food down, keep taking your diabetes medicine.
• Drink at least one cup (8 ounces) of water or other calorie-free, caffeine-free liquid every hour while you’re awake.
• If you can’t eat your usual food, try drinking juice or eating crackers, popsicles, or soup.
• If you can’t eat at all, drink clear liquids such as ginger ale. Eat or drink something with sugar in it if you have trouble keeping food down, because you still need calories. If you don’t have enough calories, you increase your risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
• Make sure that you check your blood glucose. Your blood glucose level may be high even if you’re not eating.
• Call your doctor right away if you throw up more than once or have diarrhea for more than 6 hours.

Flu & Pneumonia Shots

Pneumonia is a serious illness for anyone. It can make you sick for a few weeks.

If you have diabetes, you need to get a pneumonia shot. Most people need only one pneumonia shot for a lifetime of protection. You can get a pneumonia shot at the same time as your fl u shot. There is no need to get a pneumonia shot every year. Your doctor will tell you if you need it more than once.

A pneumonia shot can protect you against other infections caused by the same bacteria. The pneumonia shot is very safe. It does not contain any live bacteria, which means there is no way to get People may have mild redness or swelling in the arm where the shot was given. This goes away in a day or two.


Travelling with Diabetes

Plan ahead. Make sure you:

• Get all your immunizations. Find out what’s required for where you’re going, and make sure you get the right shots on time.
• Control your ABCs: A1C, Blood pressure and Cholesterol. See your health care provider for a checkup four to six weeks before your trip to make sure your ABCs are under control and in a healthy range before you leave.
• Ask your health care provider for a prescription and a letter explaining your diabetes medications, supplies and any allergies. Carry this with you at all times on your trip. The prescription should be for insulin or diabetes medications and could help in case of emergency.
• Have wearable diabetes identification in the languages of the places you are going to visit.
• Plan for time zone changes. Make sure you’ll always know when to take your diabetes medicine, no matter where you are. Remember: eastward travel means a shorter day. If you inject insulin, less may be needed. Westward travel means a longer day, so more insulin may be needed.
• Find out how long the flight will be and whether meals will be served. Pack properly.
• Take double the amount of diabetes medication and supplies that you’d normally need. Better safe than sorry.
• Keep your insulin cool by packing it in insulated bag with blue ice.
• Keep snacks, glucose gel or tablets with you in case your blood glucose drops.
• If you use insulin, make sure you also pack a glucagon kit.
• Make sure you keep your medical insurance card and medical insurance emergency number handy.
• Don’t forget to pack a first aid kit with all the essentials. Some things to keep in mind if you are flying.
• Plan to carry all of your diabetes supplies in your carry-on luggage. Don’t risk a lost suitcase.
• Keep your diabetes medications and emergency snacks with you at your seat -- don’t store them in an overhead bin.
• If the airline offers a meal for your flight, call ahead for a diabetic, low-fat or low-cholesterol meal.
• Wait until your food is about to be served before you take your shot. Otherwise, a delay in the meal could lead to low blood glucose.
• If no food is offered on your flight, bring a meal onboard.
• If you plan on using the restroom for insulin injections, ask for an aisle seat for easier access.
• Don’t be shy about telling the flight attendant that you have diabetes -- especially if you are traveling alone.
• When drawing up your dose of insulin, don’t inject air into the bottle (the air on your plane will probably be pressurized).
• Insulin in foreign countries comes in different strengths. If you purchase insulin in a foreign country, be sure to use the right syringe for the strength. An incorrect syringe may cause you to take too much or too little insulin.

Some things to keep in mind on a road trip

• Do not leave your medications in the trunk, glove compartment or near a window as they may overheat.
• Bring extra food with you in the car in case you can’t find a restaurant. General traveling tips.
• Stay comfortable and reduce your risk for blood clots by moving around every hour or two.
• Always tell at least one person traveling with you about your diabetes.
• Protect your feet. Never go barefoot in the shower, pool or on the beach.
• Check your blood glucose often. Changes in diet, activity and time zones can affect your blood glucose in unexpected ways.

Depression

Please refer more about heart and heart related diseases here
Diabetes and Depression