Diabetes and Your Body
Your body needs glucose in your blood to fuel your muscles, tissues and brain. But when you have diabetes, your body can’t use the glucose (that’s blood sugar) as it should. With nowhere to go, the unused sugar builds up in your bloodstream. Your blood sugar levels spike. When this happens too often and for too long, serious health problems develop.
But there’s good news: You can put off these problems—or possibly avoid them altogether. Find tips on the other side.
Eyes
Spikes in blood sugar endanger the tiny blood vessels in your eyes. This can cause changes in your vision, such as blurriness, dark spots and blindness.
Heart
Diabetes can be hard on your heart. By controlling blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure levels, you reduce your risk for heart attack or stroke.
Kidneys
Too much sugar in your blood over time can end up hurting your kidneys. This can prevent them from doing the important job of clearing out waste from your blood.
Feet
Blood sugar that’s too high can damage your body’s nerve fibers. This is called diabetic neuropathy and often affects the legs and feet. It can lead to falls, infections and even amputation.
More to Help You Manage
Visit the SCAN website for more to help you manage your diabetes, including information about the special benefits available to SCAN members with diabetes.
And while you’re there, print copies of these documents to use as you and your doctor work on your diabetes management plan:
- Questions to Ask Your Doctor and Diabetes Care Team. With space for writing the answers. Take it along when you see your doctor.
- Your Diabetes Action Plan. Includes information on care that can help manage your diabetes, symptoms to look for and what to do if you experience any of them.
Go to scanhealthplan.com.
TIPS
Keep a Lid on Your Sugars
To be able to manage your diabetes, you have to know how much sugar is in your blood. Testing your blood regularly and often are the only surefire ways to find out. Together, these are the tests that will give you much of the information you need to keep your diabetes in check:
- Self-test several times a day. You can self-test with finger pricks. Or talk to your doctor to see if a continuous glucose monitor would work better for you.
- Regular A1c tests. Done in your doctor’s office at least every three months.
Ask your doctor about the ABCs of your diabetes: A1c, Blood pressure and Cholesterol. Know what your numbers are now for each—and what they should be. Then, work with your doctor on a plan for getting there with diet, exercise and medication (if needed).
Take 10 for Your 10 Daily
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to poor circulation, nerve damage (called neuropathy) and sores that don’t heal and you don’t feel. Take 10 minutes at least once a day to check your feet for issues—from tops to soles and heels to each of your 10 toes.
- Look at the skin. Are there any patches of dry skin, cracks, blisters, red spots or sores?
- How do your feet feel? Is there tingling? Do they hurt or feel numb? Are they very hot or very cold?
Don’t ignore symptoms! Schedule an appointment for a foot exam with your doctor right away.
Two Things to Know About Your Diabetes and Exercise
- When you exercise, your body becomes more sensitive to insulin. This helps your muscles better use the glucose in your blood during and after activity. So, in addition to all its usual benefits, regular physical activity can help people with diabetes keep blood sugar at target levels, delay or prevent serious complications and may even make the need for medication less likely.
- SCAN members with the SilverSneakers benefit have many opportunities to be active—from gyms to online fitness classes to at-home workouts. Learn more at silversneakers.com. Don’t forget to check out Rally, too! It’s the easy-to-use fitness program available only through your SCAN online member account.
What’s the Shape of Your Kidneys?
High blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in your kidneys. Many people with
diabetes also develop high blood pressure, which can also harm the kidneys. It’s not surprising then that diabetes is the main cause of kidney disease.
Most people with diabetic kidney disease won’t know it because there are often no symptoms at first. That’s why we recommend you have a blood test and a urine test to check on kidney function. See your doctor at least once a year to take care of these important tests.
See Your Way Clear of Eye Disease
If your vision is blurry or has dark or empty spots, let your doctor know right away. Or if you’re having trouble seeing at night or telling colors apart. These could be signs of diabetic eye disease.
You can also have eye disease without any symptoms. Only having a special eye exam can
catch problems early enough to be treated before they get worse. It’s called a diabetic retinopathy exam, and it should be done at least once a year.
If you haven’t had your vision exam through EyeMed this year yet, your vision provider can do this test. Already had your regular exam for the year? Your doctor can refer you to an eye care specialist for the diabetic retinopathy test.
What Medications Can Do
Often, medication can help get blood sugar under control when diet and exercise aren’t
enough on their own. Your doctor may prescribe one drug, a combination of diabetes pills or injectables, or these drugs plus insulin.
Depending on your health, you might need to take a medication to treat other conditions associated with diabetes. Is your cholesterol higher than it should be? Your doctor may prescribe a statin medication. Statins lower harmful cholesterol and can reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke for people with diabetes.
