DIABETES AND OLD AGE
AVEON HEALTH

“Too bad that Youth is wasted on the Young.”

-Mark Twain

 

It is no secret that we tend to be our healthiest when we are young. And, like most ailments, Type 2 Diabetes is most often contracted by those who are forty-five or older. While today we will be looking at the effects of Age on Type 2 Diabetes, we do feel it important to share other factors that might lead to this particular problem. These include, but are not limited to:

• Lifestyle Habits
• Personal and Family Medical History
• Gender
• Weight & Composition
• Race

To fully understand how one or more of these factors may impact you, you may want to set up an appointment with one of our Staff Members and discuss the situation with us at that time.

While there are a number of approaches to dealing with long-term success in dealing with Type 2 Diabetes, perhaps the most successful and beneficial approach deals with pursuing proper Life-Styles. There are several that come readily to mind, and the reason they do is because when followed, they are effective in helping maintain Sugar Levels. Following are some you need to pursue, and some you are better off to avoid!

TO PURSUE

Eat a Healthy Diet: There are a host of suggested Diets on the Market today, but it is imperative that we concentrate on “Healthy” when we prepare one to help with our Diabetes. One of the major keys is to pursue a Diet that incorporates a minimum of Carbohydrates, as they are so readily converted to “Sugar” in our systems. As each of us have different metabolic rates, it is wisdom to consult with our doctor when designing a Diet for optimum benefit.

Exercise: The general consensus is what you do is far less important than the fact that you do something! Walking, in many of its various forms, seems to be an ideal answer to the question of Exercise. Again, before beginning an Exercise Regimen you will want to confer with your doctor and allow them input regarding your physical activity.

Medication Consumption: The goal of every Type 2 Diabetic should, undoubtedly, be to get themselves to the point that they no longer need Medication. However, it is imperative until that level of success has been reached that you take the Meds prescribed to you when they are prescribed.

Proper Sleep

Stress Management

TO AVOID

Excessive Alcohol Consumption: To fully appreciate this suggestion it is best that you understand why this is so important to Diabetics. The reasons include, but are not limited to:

1)            Alcohol may interfere with Diabetes Medication: Alcohol can cause Blood Glucose levels to rise or fall, depending how much you drink. Inasmuch as some medications cause the levels to drop, the issue becomes the fact that if the Meds and the Alcohol work together they may drop the levels so low that you may go into “Insulin Shock,” which is a medical emergency!

2)            Alcohol presents the Liver from doing its job: The Liver stores Glycogen, which provides you with Glucose when you haven’t eaten. Alcohol taxes the Liver, and is especially dangerous when your Glucose Level is low when you start drinking!

3)            Alcohol can cause Hypoglycemia: From within a few minutes of the time you start drinking to up to twelve hours afterward, your Blood Glucose Level can drop due to Alcohol use. As a result, you need to check your levels while drinking, and, if they are low, you need to eat a snack to bring it back up.

Smoking and Second-Hand Smoke: We already know that Smoking has a multitude of ill-effects on the body, but what some don’t realize is that it is especially detrimental to the Diabetic. Reasons this is true includes, but is not limited to:

• It raises Blood Sugar.
• It causes Respiratory Diseases.
• It damages your eyes.
• It causes Heart and Blood Vessel Damage.

We have found that the older people get the more they become “set in their ways.” As a result, when they contract Type 2 Diabetes it is more difficult for them to alter their lifestyles to be aligned with their Diabetic needs. While the old adage tells us “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” we can only counter with the fact that we better be able to if that dog wants to continue getting older!

 

If you, or someone you know, needs help in managing their Diabetes, please call AVEON HEALTH at 480-300-4663 to make an appointment with a member of our staff and allow them to escort you down the path to an improved quality of life for you and your loved ones!

This Blog was written, in part, with information gleaned from the following sources:

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/age-risk-complications#1

https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/facts-diabetes-alcohol#1

https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/smoking-diabetes