Diabetes, according to Mayo Clinic, is a chronic condition that alters the way your internal systems metabolize glucose in the blood. This condition comes with a host of complications, including neuropathy, eye damage, sleep apnea, and kidney disease. Further, people with type 2 diabetes are at an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Alarmingly, many people seeking treatment for psychiatric disorders wind up diagnosed with diabetes.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you’re likely trying to make sense of how to adjust your lifestyle and your budget. To help, Medicine.com.au shares the following insight.
Weight gain, diabetes, and medication
Diabetes is an all-too-common side-effect of neuroleptic drugs. These are medications designed to assist people with mental health concerns to regain control of their emotional state. Pharmacy Times asserts that these antipsychotic medications cause weight gain, which is one significant risk factor for diabetes. Many patients are conditioned to believe that taking their medicine is the only way to free themselves from their internal burden. Fortunately, there are alternatives, and, sometimes, the most effective solution isn’t found in a bottle.
Natural alternatives for psychiatric conditions are often less expensive than their pharmaceutical counterparts. These include yoga, meditation, health education, and massage. By engaging in practices that facilitate whole-self wellness, many people with psychiatric disorders and co-occurring diabetes can manage both conditions.
Smart tech for diabetics
Weight gain is not the scariest part of having diabetes; that honor goes to heart disease. Tennova Medical Group explains that people with diabetes are twice as likely to die of a heart condition than those without. Because of this, managing blood sugar is crucial, but so too is keeping a close watch on your cardiovascular system. Enter technology. There are many affordable pieces of equipment that people with diabetes can use to keep tabs on their condition. These include heart rate monitors, fitness trackers, and internet-connected scales. Although the technology behind these tools is still relatively new, they are becoming more affordable every day.
Many diabetics today find virtual assistant technology to be very helpful when it comes to dealing with their disease. Just ask Alexa (or your assistant of choice) to remind you of important tasks, like taking medication, reordering test strips, and so forth.
If you can’t afford new tools, you still have plenty of options using the smartphone you already own. Verywell Health notes that there are many apps available that can help you manage your health on the go. Fooducate is a great example. This app enables you to track the nutrition and quality of the food you consume. It utilizes an extensive database of barcodes so you can scan your selections at the grocery store and decide whether they stay on the shelf or enter your shopping cart. Also, download your grocery store’s app. This way, you can match healthy foods to local coupons to ensure that you are achieving a balance of nutrition and affordability.
The cost of diabetes
It doesn’t matter if you were diagnosed after taking medications or have lived with diabetes since childhood, the fact is that diabetes comes at a great cost. Diabetes Australia reports that type 1 diabetes alone costs $2.9 billion annually. How much of this $2.9 billion care comes out of your own pocket? Take some time to try to come up with an answer. You may find that you are spending more than you think.
Diabetes is a silent disease that whittles away not only your health but your bank account, too. Don’t be afraid to look for alternative ways to manage your health, especially when you have other conditions to manage as well. Technology in the form of smart scales, health apps, and fitness trackers should have a coveted place in your healthcare routine. These inexpensive pieces of tech can keep you on track, motivate you to pay closer attention to yourself, and know your weight and heart rate, which are two numbers you can’t afford to ignore.
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