If you are a diabetic on insulin then you might be a type 1 diabetic. You also might be a type 2 diabetic. Often, the progression to insulin(as a medication) happens after attempts at controlling your diabetes with diet and exercise. You may have also been prescribed some other oral medications. Insulin can be the next step that your doctor recommends after other attempts at controlling your blood glucose have failed.

Taking daily insulin may mean that your body has become insulin resistant or your pancreas doesn’t make insulin. Here are some of the recommendations that your doctor may give you to help control your blood sugar.

· Stay consistent with an exercise and diet program

The same healthy exercise and diet programs that you started earlier may be worth revisiting. Thankfully, a diabetic diet is usually not much different from a normal healthy diet. It is usually high in vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. These diets are also usually low in salty foods, sugary foods, and processed foods. Your doctor may also recommend that you count carbs so you know the amount of insulin that you should take. Another part of diabetes control is daily exercise. Not all diabetics can exercise daily, due to health reasons. However, if your doctor approves, daily exercise is usually a great way to maintain balance in one’s blood glucose.

· Speak with your doctor regularly about how medications affect you

Some medications that you are taking may vary depending on your clinician’s instructions. You should always follow the specific instructions given by your clinician when taking medication. Your doctor may also alter the kind of insulin that you take and the time that you take it. If recommended by your clinician, switching to an insulin pump may also deliver insulin to your body continuously throughout the day. You may also need to test your blood sugar levels multiple times a day to confirm whether they are working the way they are supposed to. Keep blood glucose logs and present them to your doctor when you visit. This information may be helpful to them in the management of your condition.

• Speak with your doctor about dieticians and diabetic educatorsThere are number of different healthcare professionals who treat diabetes in various ways. You can talk to your primary doctor if you are experiencing more symptoms associated with the disease. Endocrinologists, dieticians, and diabetic educators can help improve your overall health, if you are diabetic. Although you may work with your primary care doctor, it can be a huge help to also have other medical professionals in your support network.

  · Join a support network of other diabetics

  In 2018, there are a number of social resources that let you connect with other diabetics. These connections can provide advantages, from simple things like great diabetic food recipes, to life changing information, such as the availability of products and services covered by insurance which can prevent some of the more severe conditions associated with the disease. For example, many diabetics may not know about the existence of Diabetes Foot Care programs, which may provide diabetic shoes, in home visits, reminders to change out orthotics, and foot exams. Teaming up with other diabetics improves your knowledge of the disease, and as with any disease, knowledge is power.

*The author of this blog is not a medical professional and this article does not contain professional medical advice. This blog is not intended to substitute for medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of the contents of this article. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.