Every year in Connecticut, about 17,000 adults are diagnosed with diabetes, a serious chronic condition. There are many types of diabetes — including type 1, type 2 and gestational — and many factors that affect how the condition changes over time. For that reason, everyone’s experience with diabetes is different, and treatment isn’t one-size-fits all.
When you see a Connecticut diabetes specialist, you can expect a personalized treatment plan and individualized support. Here’s what that looks like, step by step.
1. Have a Diabetes Consultation
Your first visit with a diabetes specialist may involve a physical exam. The doctor may take measurements like your height, weight and blood pressure, and look at your feet, skin and eyes.
The doctor will ask questions about your diabetes. Be ready to talk about your symptoms and the medications you’re currently taking, as well as your diet and exercise habits.
The doctor may order blood tests to find out if your blood sugar is within a healthy range. A common test is the A1C test, which measures your average blood sugar level over the past three months.
2. Learn Your Diabetes Treatment Goals
The diabetes specialist will set treatment goals for your diabetes, based on what they learned about you during your consultation. Treatment goals may vary depending on the type of diabetes you have and your overall health.
In general, the goal of a diabetes treatment plan is to get your blood sugar to a healthy level. For most adults, that’s an A1C level of 6.5% or less. Your doctor might recommend a different treatment goal if you’re pregnant or have another health condition that affects your diabetes.
Depending on your overall health, your doctor may set other goals for your treatment. Those goals could include reaching a healthy blood pressure, lowering your cholesterol levels or managing complications associated with diabetes.
3. Get Your Personalized Diabetes Treatment Plan
Your diabetes specialist will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that fits your individual health needs and lifestyle. Depending on the type of diabetes you have, your treatment plan could include some or all of the following elements:
- Blood sugar monitoring: Monitoring your blood sugar helps you and your doctor see how well your treatment plan is working. Your doctor may recommend finger-stick blood samples or a continuous glucose monitor.
- Healthy meal plan: Diabetes-friendly meal plansfocus on eating balanced amounts of non-starchy vegetables, lean proteins and foods higher in carbs. Your doctor may recommend counting and limiting the amount of carbs you eat.
- Regular physical activity: Exercise is an important part of managing diabetes because it helps your body use insulinmore effectively, which can help you control your blood sugar.
- Weight loss (if necessary): If you’re overweight, your doctor may recommend trying to lose weight. Weight losscan help your body use insulin better.
- Oral diabetes medications: If you have type 2 diabetes, your doctor may prescribe pills to help control your blood sugar.
- Insulin therapy:Insulin is a hormone that controls the amount of sugar in your blood. It’s required for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Some people with type 2 diabetes may also need to take insulin.
4. Ask for More Support, if You Need It
Managing diabetes can be hard. If you feel overwhelmed by your personalized treatment plan, reach out to your diabetes specialist. They can offer extra support, like a referral to a diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) program.
DSMES programs help you learn how to fit your treatment plan into your life. A diabetes educator can teach you about how to eat and exercise with diabetes, and how to monitor your blood sugar and take your medications.
5. Follow Up With Your Diabetes Specialist
Diabetes can be managed with a personalized treatment plan, but unfortunately, there’s no cure for the condition. You’ll need regular follow ups with your diabetes specialist to ensure you stay healthy.
Follow up appointments allow your diabetes specialist to monitor your condition and check if your blood sugar is within a healthy level. If necessary, they can make changes to your personalized treatment plan to help you reach your diabetes care goals. Follow up visits are also an opportunity for you to ask questions about your treatment plan or bring up concerns about symptoms.
Looking for a Diabetes Specialist in Connecticut?
A diabetes specialist can help you manage your diabetes and live your healthiest life, no matter what types of diabetes you have. PACT Endocrinology is currently welcoming new patients with diabetes. Our experienced endocrinologist, Dr. James Case, focuses on treating diabetes and provides personalized care plans for his patients. Dr. Case works out of our Hamden, CT and Milford, CT offices. Call your preferred location today to book your diabetes consultation.
