All patients with diabetes mellitus should be educated to practice self-care. This allows the patient to take some responsibility and control of his/her own diabetes management. Below is some suggestions of self care management:
- Blood glucose and blood pressure monitoring – today, more people can effort to buy blood pressure and blood glucose home monitoring. If you cannot effort to buy one, pay a visit to a nearby clinic or laboratory. Keep record of your blood sugar and blood pressure measurement. Show the record to your doctor during your follow up visit. This may help in the management of your diabetes.
- Body weight monitoring – Overweight people are increase risk to get cardiovascular disease. Record you body weight along with your measurement of blood sugar level and blood pressure.
- Foot care – Funny enough, people tend to forget about the foot which they use every day. Most probably because it is something that is very far away from the head so they tend to ignore it… The truth is, foot is very important. In diabetes patients, foot is prone for infection. Diabetic patients usually have decrease sensation at periphery (due to peripheral neuropathy). This is why the foot is susceptible for injury and expose to infection. Check your foot daily, use a mirror to look at difficult places. If you have poor eyesight, please ask someone to check it for you.
- Personal hygiene – Diabetic patients are prone to get infection, so, keep yourself clean.
- Diet and physical activity – the key is keeping a healthy lifestyle. Take diet with low calorie and less fat.
- Identify targets for control – each mission should have a target. Keep a diary and record your blood pressure and blood glucose level. Set a target level for your blood pressure and blood glucose level and give reasonable time to achieve it. Your doctor will help you to make this target.
- Stop smoking – everywhere you go, people will talk about smoking cessation. Even at the cigarette box has stated that smoking is not good for your health. So, why wait? Quit smoking now!
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Reference:
- CPG Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Ministry of Health Malaysia. 3rd edition. 2004.
- Tao Le et al. first Aid for the Family medicine Boards. Mc Graw Hill. 2008.
