Diabetes can affect an individual’s blood sugar levels and require numerous treatments. Thus, you need to understand which doctors can help treat it to simplify the process and make it less traumatic.
Various specialists have a crucial role in treating people who have diabetes. Every specialist has a vital part to play, and there are multiple things to remember before seeing one. Read More
A general care physician is a top choice to consider to treat your diabetes. Usually, it is the family doctor only who first notices the symptoms of high blood sugar levels. Such symptoms may emerge during the time of routine screening. Hence, it is always recommended to visit the doctor for regular check-ups every three months. They will refer you to an endocrinologist if the problem is outside their expertise.
Other most famous specialists in the area of diabetes are endocrinologists. They are experts in treating hormonal concerns as well as the glands that produce these hormones. Diabetes occurs when your pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin in the manner it must do. Thus, when a person has diabetes, his pancreas either does not produce insulin, or the insulin doesn’t work as it should. Endocrinologists specialize in treating patients with type 1 diabetes.
What Can You Expect When You See A Doctor For Diabetes?
If you are visiting a doctor about your diabetes for the first, it would be good to prepare in advance to ensure everything goes well.
A week before your appointment with the doctor, you should start maintaining a journal regarding any symptoms you might have, irrespective of whether they are related to diabetes or not. The doctor would find your journal when coming up with a treatment plan for diabetes. It’s important because every case of diabetes is different, requiring individualized treatment plans for all patients based on their symptoms. So choose the best health care services as per your requirement.
If you have diabetes, you might be required to go fasting to take the blood glucose test. Hence, you must ask for instructions before the appointment day. Fasting for a blood test requires individuals not to eat or drink anything except water for at least 8 hours before the test. Thus, it would be best to schedule the fasting tests early in the morning as you would have already spent 8 hours during the night when you were sleeping.
Whenever you visit a doctor for the first time, it would be helpful to bring a notebook, laptop or smartphone so that you can write down the key points that might come up during the consultation.
If you prepare yourself in advance when visiting the doctor for the first time, your consultation will be much more productive than expected. Additionally, you will get better clarity regarding diabetes and its complications.
Support Networks:
Although an endocrinologist is an expert in helping people with diabetes, it’s just one aspect of managing diabetes. Since diabetes is a complex situation, you need to rely on a large support network of various specialists to enhance treatment quality.
A dietician will help you eat a balanced diet according to your lifestyle. The right combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is vital for curbing diabetes. A dietician would offer to advise on the following matters:
- Amount of nutrients you require
- Best sources to acquire these nutrients
- Tips to spread these nutrients throughout the body
In addition to this, dieticians can also assist people in attaining self-management skills such as:
- How to test blood glucose at home?
- How to administer injections?
- Tips for managing high and low blood sugar
- Certified Diabetes Educators:
CDEs or certified Diabetes Educators are health experts with comprehensive knowledge of the latest practices for managing and preventing diabetes. They have undergone specialized training regarding how to educate people to manage their diabetes for better health.
Physical exercise has a vital role to play in diabetes management. It is recommended that people with diabetes spend at least 150 minutes a week on moderate aerobic exercise. Hence, they can work with a physical trainer to get a personalized exercise regime that works best for them.
When Should You See A Specialist?
It is not necessary to see a specialist for diabetes. Most people with type 2 diabetes can manage their blood sugar levels at home. However, in some instances, a complication might arise, requiring immediate specialist help, or the person might have specific concerns that a general physician is not proficient in advising on.
