While there’s no doubting that a diabetes diagnosis can be scary – with effects such as a shorter life expectancy of ten to twenty years depending on the type of diabetes you have and a myriad of potential health problems that must be monitored – the prognosis is not as bleak as it used to be.
Research is being carried out almost constantly searching for better diabetes treatments and there are things you can do to that can help you to cope with the symptoms of the disease on a day to day basis.
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Some Little Known Secrets About Diabetes Prevention and Management
As scientists learn more about the nature of the disease, they also learn more about how to relieve symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. Some of the latest developments include:
Coffee
A 2014 Harvard study found that increasing coffee intake by just one cup a day decreased the risk of developing type two diabetes by 11% and decreasing your intake by just one cup caused a 17% increase in the risk over a four year period. However, similar studies have shown that coffee can increase glucose levels in the short term and are suggesting that people with type one diabetes should be careful about the amount they consume. Further research is needed in the area to ascertain whether coffee can be useful in managing the symptoms of diabetes, but this is definitely good news for anyone concerned they are at risk of diabetes to help prevent the onset of the disease.
Insulin Patches
Insulin Patches are a new form of treatment for diabetics which could mean that in the future, insulin levels could be controlled without the need for injections by delivering the insulin via a patch.
Lower Cortisol Levels
In a recent study, the American Diabetes Association found that higher cortisol secretions are related to the number of diabetic complications. While further research is needed, this suggests that keeping your stress levels low can help to prevent complications resulting from your diabetes.
How to Access Alternative Diabetes Treatments
Many diabetics are surprised to learn of these innovations, because often, their diabetes is managed by their GPs rather than specialists. While a good GP will do their best to help you manage your condition, they will often offer the more traditional insulin injection based treatments because they are simply unaware of the changes to our understanding of the disease and the findings of the latest research.
If you are interested in trying new treatments, it’s still advisable to start with your GP. They know your medical history and they know where on the scale your diabetes falls.
Do plenty of research and find information to take to your GP and use this information to open the doors to having a productive discussion about the possibilities open to you.
You have every right to take charge of your health, and if your GP isn’t open to a discussion about your options, you have a right to a second opinion. Ask questions and make sure you fully understand the answers you are given.
You can research your options using medical journals, books and of course the internet. Make sure your sources are reliable and that any studies are carried out by reputable associations such as universities or the American Diabetes Association.
Good luck with your search.
Sources:
1. diabetes.co.uk, Diabetes Life Expectancy
2. betterhealth.vic.gov.au, Diabetes – long-term effects
3. link.springer.com, Changes in coffee intake and subsequent risk of type 2 diabetes: three large cohorts of US men and women
4. diabetes.org, What Can I Drink?
5. diabetes.co.uk, Insulin Patch
6. care.diabetesjournals.org, Cortisol Secretion in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
