Tips for Living with Type 2 Diabetes
November 7, 2023
By: Editorial Team
Categories: Community Health, Health and Wellness, Heart Health, Kidney Disease, Men's Health, Women's Health
It’s not easy discovering that you or a loved one has diabetes. Sadly, you are not alone.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 37 million Americans have diabetes (about one in ten), and approximately 90-95% of them have type 2 diabetes. Approximately 96 million American adults — more than 1 in 3 — have prediabetes — which can lead to developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
November is American Diabetes Month, and Trinity Health would like to help you live a healthy life by providing some helpful tips for managing diabetes.
The Tips
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) offers the following suggestions to help navigate treatment if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with diabetes:
Create a health care team. Finding the right team of skilled health professionals will help you manage your diabetes and get the most out of your care.
Developing and maintaining a relationship with a primary care physician (PCP) who can coordinate your care is vital to your good health. A PCP typically specializes in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or General Practice.
If you don’t have a PCP, finding one is easy! Just visit your insurance carrier’s website, look for the “” area and follow the instructions. Ask your PCP to help you build a team to assist you in reaching your goals and feeling better.
You may be referred to an endocrinologist — a physician whose specialty is treating disorders of the endocrine system, the network of hormone-producing glands in your body. Endocrinologists are qualified to diagnose and treat conditions like diabetes, thyroid diseases, infertility, growth issues, metabolic disorders, osteoporosis, some cancers, and disorders in the hormone-producing adrenal glands and pituitary glands.1
Your care team may also include a dietician, an educator, or a wellness coach. Check with your health system and your medical insurance company to see what options you may have to form your team.
Take control by following the treatment plan. Self-care is the best way to maintain your good health. You can help keep yourself well by eating right, staying active, taking your medicine, monitoring your blood glucose, and making and keeping doctor appointments. See if your community offers any free classes for controlling diabetes.
Monitor your blood glucose levels. Your doctor may want you to start checking your glucose (or blood sugar) levels at home. If so, you will need a small machine called a blood glucose meter. Your health care team can help you find the best meter for your needs. Keeping your blood glucose levels in a healthy range is key to controlling your diabetes.
Continuous glucose monitors are devices that provide real-time updates on your glucose. They are attached to your body and are a good option for glucose monitoring if covered by insurance. They provide information on is glucose levels are dropping or going too high and can alert the users, as well.
Take your prescribed medications. To help keep your blood glucose in the target range, it’s vital that you take your medications as prescribed by your doctor. If you believe you’re having side effects, be sure to call your doctor or pharmacist.
Pay attention to your daily habits, share any concerns or changes in your health with your PCP, and ensure that your annual check-ups include the tests to check for prediabetes and diabetes.
Speak with your primary care physician if you or a loved one would like to learn more about diabetes.
Click here if you need a primary care physician.