Diabetes For Dummies (eBook)

Diabetes For Dummies, 3rd Australian Edition 1
About the Authors 5
Contents at a Glance 9
Table of Contents 11
Introduction 21
About This Book 21
Conventions Used in this Book 22
What You Don’t Have to Read 22
Foolish Assumptions 22
How This Book Is Organised 22
Icons Used in This Book 25
Part I: Dealing with the Onset of Diabetes 27
Chapter 1: Dealing with Diabetes 29
You Are Not Alone 29
Living with Diabetes 30
Working On Your Mental Health 33
The Way Forward After Diagnosis 36
Chapter 2: It’s the Glucose 37
Recognising Diabetes 37
Discovering Ways to Treat Diabetes 41
Telling Typical Patient Stories 43
Chapter 3: What Type of Diabetes Do You Have? 45
Getting to Know Your Pancreas 45
You Have Type 1 Diabetes 47
You Have Type 2 Diabetes 52
You Have Gestational Diabetes 57
Could You Have Another Type of Diabetes? 58
Chapter 4: Taking Preventive Measures 61
Getting to Grips with the Rise in Diabetes 62
Counteracting Type 1 Diabetes 63
Avoiding Type 2 Diabetes 67
Chapter 5: Dealing with Prediabetes 71
Differentiating Between Diagnoses 71
Knowing What Puts You at Risk 74
Turning Back the Clock 74
Getting the Family Involved 76
Planning For the Long Term 77
Part II: How Diabetes Affects Your Body 79
Chapter 6: Managing the Lumps and Bumps of Day-to-Day Diabetes 81
Solving Short-Term Problems 82
Coping With Colds and Other Nasties 82
Understanding Hypoglycaemia 86
Combating Diabetic Ketoacidosis 92
Managing Hyperglycaemic Hyperosmolar State 96
Chapter 7: Preventing Long-Term Complications 99
How Long-Term Complications Develop 100
Controlling Kidney Disease 101
Having a Look at Eye Disease 107
Reining in Neuropathy, or Nerve Disease 111
Fighting Heart Disease 117
Tracking Cholesterol and Other Fats 120
Measuring Blood Pressure 121
Other Diseases of the Vascular System 123
Sexual Problems in Diabetes 125
Skin Disease in Diabetes 130
Chapter 8: Fabulous Feet 131
Understanding Common Foot Problems 132
Caring for Your Feet — Prevention is Better than Cure 134
Booking a Foot Assessment 138
Treating Foot Problems 139
Part III: Living with Diabetes: Your Physical Health 141
Chapter 9: Glucose Monitoring and Other Tests 143
Testing, Testing: Tests You Need to Stay Healthy 144
Monitoring Your Blood Glucose 145
Investigating Blood Glucose Meters 148
Tracking Your Glucose over Time with Glycosylated Haemoglobin 151
Testing for Ketones in Type 1 Diabetes 154
Chapter 10: Medications: What You Should Know 157
Taking Drugs by Mouth: Oral Agents 158
Getting Under Your Skin: Injecting Incretin Mimetics 166
Introducing Insulin 167
Other Common Medications 174
Avoiding Drug Interactions 178
Getting Help with the Costs of Diabetes 180
Chapter 11: Healthy Eating in Diabetes 181
Reviewing the Special Nutritional Needs of People with Type 2 Diabetes 181
Losing Weight with Type 2 Diabetes 191
Reviewing the Special Nutritional Needs of People with Type 1 Diabetes 201
Reviewing General Nutritional Needs of All People with Diabetes 207
Chapter 12: Keeping It Moving: Exercise Plan 211
Why Exercise Is Important 211
Getting Started: Exercising When You Have Diabetes 213
Getting Your Heart Pumping 214
Exercising if You Have Type 1 Diabetes 215
Exercising if You Have Type 2 Diabetes 217
Is Golf a Sport? Choosing Your Activity 217
Lifting Weights and Getting Fit 220
Part IV: Living with Diabetes: Your Mental Health 223
Chapter 13: Mind Matters: Mental Health in Diabetes 225
Common Mental Health Problems in Diabetes 226
Connecting Your Mental Health with Your Physical Health 228
Adopting Healthy Coping Styles 229
Working on Practical Strategies for Healthy Coping 231
Keeping Up Your Motivation for Lifestyle Changes 233
Finding Psychological Therapies That Work with Diabetes 237
Chapter 14: Diabetes Is Your Show 243
You Are the Author, the Producer, the Director and the Star 244
The General Practitioner — Your Assistant Director 245
The Diabetes Specialist or Endocrinologist — Your Technical Consultant 245
The Eye Doctor — Your Lighting Designer 246
The Foot Doctor — Your Dance Instructor 247
The Dietitian — Your Food Services Director 247
The Diabetes Educator — Your Researcher 248
The Pharmacist — Your Usher 249
The Mental Health Worker — Your Supporting Actor 249
Your Family and Friends — Your Captivated and Caring Audience 250
Chapter 15: Putting Your Knowledge to Work for You 251
Developing Positive Thinking 251
Monitoring and Testing 252
Using Medications Correctly 254
Following a Diet Successfully 255
Following an Exercise Program 256
Using the Expertise of Others 257
Part V: Special Considerations for Living with Diabetes 259
Chapter 16: Your Child Has Diabetes 261
Caring for Your Baby or Preschooler 262
Looking After Your Primary School Child 264
Supporting Your Adolescent 266
Handing Over Control to the Young Adult 267
Helping the Obese Child with Type 2 Diabetes 268
Caring for a Sick Child 269
Liaising with Your Diabetes Care Team 270
Chapter 17: Diabetes and the Older Person 273
Diagnosing Diabetes in the Older Person 274
Evaluating Intellectual Functioning 274
Reconsidering Dietary Restrictions 275
Dealing with Eye Problems 276
Coping with Urinary and Sexual Problems 276
Designing an Appropriate Treatment Program 277
Chapter 18: Diabetes and Pregnancy 281
Pregnancy and Pregestational Diabetes 281
Managing a Diabetic Pregnancy 283
Caring for the Baby After Birth 291
Checking for Diabetes After the Pregnancy 293
Chapter 19: Occupational and Insurance Problems 295
Employing People with Diabetes 295
Occupations with Restrictions 296
The Law Is On Your Side 297
Driving If You Have Diabetes 297
Piloting a Plane 299
Obtaining Health Insurance 299
Obtaining Travel Insurance 300
Obtaining Life Insurance 300
Chapter 20: Advances in Diabetes Care 303
Monitoring Blood Glucose Levels 304
Developing New Drugs and New Techniques 304
Transplanting the Pancreas or Insulin-producing Cells 307
Chapter 21: What Doesn’t Work When You’re Treating Diabetes 309
Finding What Will Work for You 310
Staying Clear of the Shonky Stuff 311
Recognising the Diets that Don’t Work 314
Part VI: The Part of Tens 317
Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Prevent or Reverse the Effects of Diabetes 319
Monitoring Your Blood Glucose 319
Being Careful with What You Eat 320
Having Tests Regularly 321
Keeping Active 321
Educating Yourself 322
Heeding the Doctor’s Advice 322
Maintaining a Positive Outlook 323
Being Prepared 324
Examining Your Feet 324
Focusing On Your Eyes 325
Chapter 23: Ten Myths about Diabetes That You Can Forget 327
Following Treatment Perfectly Yields Perfect Glucose Levels 327
Eating a Slice of Cake Can Kill You 328
You Can Tell the Level of Your Blood Glucose by How You Feel 329
Finding a Cure in Unorthodox Methods 329
Diabetes Ends Spontaneity 330
Needing Insulin Means You’re Doomed 330
People with Diabetes Shouldn’t Exercise 331
Getting Life and Health Insurance Is Impossible 332
Most Diabetes Is Inherited 333
Diabetes Wrecks Your Sense of Humour 333
Chapter 24: Ten Types of Websites to Learn More about Diabetes 335
General Sites 336
Type 1 Diabetes 337
Young People with Diabetes 338
Nutrition 338
Exercise 339
Mental Health 340
International Sites 340
Medical Literature Databases 341
Diabetes Complications 341
Medications Advice 342
Part VII: Appendixes 343
Appendix A: Insulin Pumps 345
Understanding How Insulin Pumps Work 346
Looking at the Benefits and Challenges 347
Is an Insulin Pump Right for You? 348
Finding Out More 349
Appendix B: Mental Health Exercises 351
Mindfulness Exercises 351
Relaxation Exercises 354
Glossary 357
Index 363