| Diabetes and Medicine |
| Written by Karen Major | |
Diabetes is controlled by food and beverage intake to a large degree, but there are those that still need the help of medicines. Besides the older method of insulin injections, the addition of oral medication has been a welcome improvement for many. We will review five classes or types of oral medication that may be prescribed by your doctor to help treat and control diabetes. Oral MedicationOnly the type two diabetic can utilize oral medications to control their diabetes. The pills are not a standalone therapy; they work better when they are used in tandem with changes in diet and exercise. Diabetes pills are not a panacea or a cure-all, they don't work for everyone. Many people will find that their blood glucose levels will go down when they take the pills, but the question is whether their blood glucose levels drop down into the normal range. The pills are worth trying. And remember that they will work better if you make a tremendous effort to make the changes to your diet and exercise regimen as well.Below you will find a list of oral medicines that help lower blood glucose levels. Some oral medications may actually combine two of these medicines in one pill and some are stand alone pills. Five different types of oral medications are as follows:
There are also different side affects with each type of medicine that range from the not too serious, to the extreme caution category of side effects. Make sure you understand what to look for if you are taking one of the medications. These oral medications are usually given to diabetic patients whose own bodies are still making some insulin. Studies have been done that show that the chances of the oral medication working well increase if you’ve had diabetes for less than ten years and if you take less than twenty units of insulin each day. Insulin InjectionsInsulin injections are always utilized for type one diabetics, and are sometimes prescribed for type two diabetics. Lantis SubQ or the generic insulin Glargine is an insulin injection medicine that is given when the body doesn’t produce much insulin on its own. There are very specific directions given concerning amount and how to give the injection. All directions must be followed precisely as just a little too much or not enough can be very dangerous.Your doctor’s nurse will generally teach you how to give yourself the injections. The doctor’s office will also provide instructions for all aspects of care for the injections, including how to care for the skin around the injection site. Healthy Diet and ExerciseBoth the oral and the injection type of medication are to be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. Good exercise activity is a must for glucose and insulin control as well as weight management. The doctor office should help you assess the level of exercise you get now, and help you design a program to increase the amount you get each day to an optimum level. It is important to do a little each day and build up your stamina while you continue to monitor your glucose levels.Portion size in the diet needs to be watched. This is as important as including a wide variety of foods and eating food that are low in sugar and fat. SummaryAll the combinations of medicines, diet, and exercise must be followed regularly to keep the disease under control. Control is essential with diabetes. If the disease gets out of control the results can be absolutely debilitating or life threatening.Many diabetic symptoms or complication do not show up until it is too late to do much about them. So diligence is the name of the game. The medicines are important, following directions are important, exercise and eating right are important. But the most important tool of all when you are a diabetic is monitoring the disease and staying on top of the changes in your body. |
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