By Julia O’Neil RD, LD, CDCES, and Lauren Chase RD, LD, CDCES
Diabetes is a complex chronic disease that can cause a lot of harm to your body without treatment. You can manage high blood sugars caused by diabetes with nutrition, exercise, monitoring, medication, and stress management. That can be a lot to tackle. Know you are not alone when it comes to managing your health. These members of your medical team can help you care for your blood sugars and prevent complications!
Your primary care provider or specialist: Diabetes can affect your health in many ways. Your primary care provider can order important labs to monitor your blood sugar, cholesterol, and kidney function. If these labs are out of range, your doctor can help prescribe medications to help. Your doctor may also check if your nerves have been damaged by high blood sugar. If your diabetes is complex and requires a lot of medication, or you have type one diabetes, you may want to see a specialist doctor such as an endocrinologist.
Your dietitian/diabetes educator: What you eat, and drink can impact your blood sugars. A registered dietitian can help you create a personalized nutrition plan to keep your blood sugars balanced. A diabetes educator can help you troubleshoot other issues that might be affecting your blood sugars, such as exercise, medication, and stress/sleep.
Your clinical pharmacist: Many primary care clinics have pharmacists on staff who specialize in medication management. If you feel your medications are not working for you, or you are having a lot of side effects from your medication, it may be helpful to see if your clinic has a clinical pharmacist you can talk to.
Your physical therapist: Exercise is an amazing tool to help manage blood sugars; Injuries, balance issues, or muscle weakness can keep you from feeling confident to start an exercise program. A physical therapist can help you get started with an exercise plan that’s right for you.
Your counselor or therapist: Stress can raise blood sugars, and it can be very hard to make lifestyle changes under stress. A counselor or therapist can help you find ways to manage and cope with stress. You can learn to identify and manage distress related to your diabetes diagnosis and care.
Your case manager: Many primary care clinics have case managers who specialize in creating individualized care plans. A care manager can help you access resources to manage chronic disease. If you are struggling with basic needs, such as healthcare, food, and housing support, you may want to talk to a care manager at your clinic.