Choose Both Classic and New Methods to Manage Your Blood Sugar
We have many patients with diabetes at Clifton Foot & Ankle Center. If we took a poll, they might agree that they hear this piece of advice from us above all others:
Never give up keeping your blood sugar under control.
It’s also an important message of the American Diabetes Association, which sponsors Diabetes Awareness Month every November.
High levels of sugar in the blood – the hallmark of diabetes – damages both nerves and blood vessels everywhere in the body. When blood vessel damage reaches your feet, they won’t get enough blood. Nerve damage in your feet causes numbness, and you can easily overlook an injury. Both types of damage leave a diabetic’s feet vulnerable to infections that can take a very long time to heal.
So, how do you keep your blood sugar under control? The classic answers include:
- eat a balanced diet rich in protein, fiber, vegetables, and whole grains
- get regular exercise
- keep your weight in a healthy rang
- stop smoking
- get enough sleep
Newer tools for diabetics
Advances in technology offer some helpful new tools for taking control of diabetes. If you haven’t talked to our board-certified podiatrist or your primary care physician about the latest technology for helping with blood glucose stability, have that conversation this month. Important questions to ask are:
- exercise apps such as Fitbit that monitor and track blood glucose along with diet and exercise
- “smart” insulin pens that sync with your smartphone, providing reminders and reports to help you stay on track
- advances in conventional glucose monitoring systems that make tracking easier than ever
- apps that connect you to others with diabetes, providing a peer support system
When it comes to keeping control of their blood sugar, people with diabetes have many choices today. Take advantage of both classic methods and new technologies to help you manage your diabetes better than ever. And remember to perform daily diabetic foot exams at home and visit our Fairfax County podiatry office once per year or whenever you notice changes in your feet. Contact board-certified podiatrist Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm, in Centreville, Virginia at (703) 996-3000 or make an appointment online.
