Type 2 Diabetes - See Your Doctor Regularly
When you receive a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, don’t think that hiding your head in the sand will make it go away. It is here and you must deal with it to keep healthy for the long run. A paramount piece to making this happen is developing the proper relationship with your medical team. Whether you see a Diabetes specialist or manage it with the aid of your doctor, that relationship is not optional for long-term success. Your doctor will help you monitor your progress in managing this disease. The doctor spot trends in glucose or insulin levels that may cause problems in the future. The healthcare provider can schauggest changes to lifestyle and eating. You may also get you in touch with specialists in diet and exercise to make it all happen.
Your doctor will monitor your blood glucose levels over the long run to see if you are making progress in managing them. With the HbA1C test, your doctor can see if you have lowered your glucose levels over a two or three month period. This average tells the real tale of your ability to manage your type 2 diabetes. Your doctor will also monitor other measurements to keep your health well. This includes your bodyweight. Excess bodyweight means your insulin resistance grows. If you decrease your body weight, that resistance decreases. So losing weight is a good thing. At the very minimum, not gaining any more weight is better than gaining.
Your doctor will also monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Those with type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of getting heart disease than those without it. If those blood sugar readings get out of control, your healthcare provider may put you on medications to decrease them. Your doctor will also monitor any other medications you may be taking. Some medications will cause spikes or drops in the amount of glucose in the blood. All of this monitoring will help keep problems from developing in the first place.
How often should you see your doctor? For the first few months after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, many people see their doctor every couple of weeks. After you get the diabetes to a level of control, that may space out to once every three months or so. It is important to monitor your glucose averages every few months to make sure nothing is going wrong. Your healthcare team is part of making sure you stave off complications over the long run.