[Greg]

Being a diabetes patient myself, I would like to add some additional information on ...
How to keep your Diabetes under control.

#1: Every Diabetic is unique and his personal treatment and recommended tests may vary due to many factors. Therefore it is important to get a personalized check dome from a good doctor/diabetologist at least twice a year.

#2: These tests indicate your current health status and health complications that may arise in future. Doctor will prescribe medications accordingly.

#3: Visit your Doctor (once a year): Will check your blood pressure, weight, feet and possible recommend you to a dentist.

#4: Eye exams (once a year): Diabetes can damage the small blood vessels in your retina, which is the back part of your eye. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes also increases your risk of having glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye problems. Smoking can be extremely bad for Diabetics. If you at all find difficulty in dim light, or start developing blind spots, double or hazy vision, get frequent headaches or have problem seeing in the sides, then get a checkup done ASAP. If you develop a problem like glaucoma, your doctor may advice you to get your eye checkups done a lot more frequently. Note: High impact or Heavy weight lifting exercises can make your eye problems worse.

#5: Foot exam (once a year): Doctor will check pulses in your feet and also examine for infections, sores or any loss of feeling.

#6: Hemoglobin A1c tests ( every 3 months): Diabetics should aim for A1c of less than 7%. This test tells how well you are controlling your blood sugar levels.

#7: Cholesterol levels check: If you have high cholesterol, get these tests done twice a year, otherwise an annual test is just fine. A Lipid Panel test will check for your total cholesterol, triglycerides, good and bad cholesterol.

#8: Kidney/Urine test (once a year): Has there been any damage to your kidneys? Doctors specifically look for a protein called Albumin.

#9: Healthy lifestyle: By controlling your sugar intake and doing mild workout every day can be really beneficial. This includes walking and mild running/exercising. Avoiding smoking and reducing alcohol intake.

#10: Other tests: Depending on your personal health indicators or family history other tests may come into play like serum creatinine test, heart disease test, or if you have sexual and fertility problems.

This list might look too exhaustive and scary. Overall a diabetic person will be just fine if they visit doctor/hospital and get recommended tests done every 3 months to 6 months. These tests are not time consuming, all your checkups will be done within a few hours only. So mark your calendars, and start living a healthy life.

All the best !!
- Greg