Dealing With The Diagnosis - Diagnosis And Beyond: Diabetes

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Dealing with the diagnosis

Dealing with the diagnosis

Learning that you have diabetes is traumatic, and it can set off an emotional crisis. That's understandable: Diabetes is a chronic, lifelong disease that affects nearly all aspects of your daily life, including the food you eat, the activities you pursue, and possibly even your choice of a career. Indeed, because of the amount of self-care required, diabetes places an extraordinary burden on those it affects. You must pay special attention to diet and exercise. You may need to test your blood glucose levels several times a day. In addition, you may have to take oral medication or multiple doses of insulin daily. And if you have type 2 diabetes, you'll probably need to take medications for high blood pressure and cholesterol.

But ignoring diabetes or failing to treat it correctly only paves the way for dangerous episodes of hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). It may also result in serious long-term complications, such as blindness, kidney failure, and heart disease. Those who fare best and lead the healthiest lives accept their disorder, learn as much about it as they can, and work vigilantly to control their blood glucose levels.

Last updated:	January 23, 2007