5 Ways to Control Your Blood Sugar and Manage Diabetes
At Fairfax County’s Clifton Foot & Ankle Center, we try to be very thorough when spelling out the dangers of diabetes to our patients. That’s especially true during November – Diabetes Awareness Month. Here’s what we want all our patients to be aware of…
A person with diabetes may experience:
- Numbness and tingling in the feet.
- Poor circulation.
- A heightened risk of infections.
- Slow healing.
- An increased risk of foot or lower leg amputation.
However, the risks of diabetes are in no way limited to your feet! Uncontrolled diabetes will eventually affect many other bodily systems, increasing your chances of heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, retinal disease, other eye complications, and bacterial infections of the gums.
The bottom line: Controlling your blood sugar is paramount to keeping your feet as healthy as possible. And it’s also vital for overall wellness.
Take these five actions to keep diabetes in check:
- Quit smoking: Diabetes already poses a threat to your heart and lungs. Smoking only makes it worse by contributing to clogged arteries and peripheral nerve damage.
- Keep off unwanted pounds: More fat cells require more insulin to lower your blood sugar. When you’re at a healthy weight, your body doesn’t have to work as hard to produce insulin.
- Make exercise a priority: Fit in some type of exercise at least five days a week, whether it be walking, playing pickleball, swimming, lifting weights, or some other activity you can stick with.
- Keep stress at bay: The hormonal response to being stressed can also raise your blood sugar levels.
- Visit our podiatry office at least once a year: Our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm, can catch small problems of the diabetic foot before they become big ones.
There are many more ways to control your diabetes, including keeping a food diary, carrying a glucose monitor wherever you go, limiting alcohol, and much more. Dr. Wilhelm can share additional strategies with you at your annual diabetic foot check. If you’re unsure when your next checkup is, call our office in Centreville, Virginia, at (703) 996-3000 or make an appointment online.
