<\/p>\n
Diabetes is a chronic illness and requires life-long management. Diabetes management for the elderly presents unique challenges due to their advanced age. As one gets older, the complications associated with diabetes can become more severe.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fortunately, older adults can manage blood sugar and avoid complications with regular care and vigilance. This article discusses essential lifestyle changes for diabetes care in the elderly.<\/p>\n
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Diabetes Symptoms in the Elderly<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Symptoms of diabetes in the elderly include:<\/p>\n 1. Increased thirst 1. Quitting or Avoiding Smoking<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first essential step in diabetes care for the elderly is avoiding or quitting Smoking. Smoking increases the severity of diabetes complications like:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2022 Reduced blood flow in the extremities (feet and legs) leads to nonhealing ulcers, infections and possible amputation. <\/p>\n Avoiding cigarette smoke can help one better manage diabetes and lower the severity of associated complications.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2. Controlling Blood Pressure and Cholesterol<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n High blood pressure and high cholesterol, when coupled with diabetes, can cause rapid blood vessel damage, heart attack, stroke, and other life-threatening conditions. Hence, controlling high blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels is essential to type 1 diabetes self-care, gestational diabetes self-care, and type 2 diabetes self-care.<\/p>\n The following lifestyle modifications can help one control blood pressure and cholesterol:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2022 Eating a healthy diet with reduced fat and sodium <\/p>\n 3. Scheduling Regular Physical and Eye Exams<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For the elderly, regular physical and eye exams are a must to assess overall health and catch any complications due to diabetes early.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The doctor checks blood sugar, nutrition, and physical activity levels during the physical exam. They also look for any signs of diabetes complications, such as kidney, liver, nerve, or heart disease. During a regular eye exam, the doctor looks for signs of cataracts, retinal damage, and glaucoma.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Early detection and proper medication attention can effectively deal with any complications.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4. Keeping Vaccination Profile Up-to-Date<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Having diabetes can increase the risk of catching certain illnesses. Hence, older adults need to keep up-to-date with their vaccinations, such as:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2022 Flu Vaccine:<\/strong> Getting vaccinated against the flu can help you remain healthy in the flu season and prevent flu-related complications, which can become severe due to diabetes. <\/p>\n 5. Taking Proper Care of Teeth<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Taking care of teeth is an essential part of managing diabetes health. Elderly people with diabetes are prone to gum infections and should take proper care of their teeth by following the steps given here:<\/p>\n \u2022 Brushing at least two times a day with a fluoride toothpaste <\/p>\n 6. Paying Attention to Feet<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Diabetes can lower blood flow to the feet and legs. Cuts, wounds or ulcers on the feet can develop serious infections when left untreated. It becomes even more challenging to notice these wounds as diabetes can also cause loss of sensation in the feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Older adults with diabetes can follow the steps given here to avoid foot problems:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2022 Wash feet daily in lukewarm water. <\/p>\n 7. Consuming Alcohol Responsibly<\/strong><\/p>\n Alcohol can worsen diabetes symptoms and complications. Hence, elderly people with diabetes should avoid excess alcohol consumption as part of diabetes self-care.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The symptoms and complications of diabetes can worsen with age. Hence, diabetes in elderly can be difficult to manage. However, through round-the-clock care, vigilance and lifestyle modifications, elderly people can have a good quality of life. Upon noticing symptoms of diabetes given here, one must consult a doctor and book a diabetes panel basic test<\/a> at Dr. Lal PathLabs to check blood sugar levels.<\/p>\n The major diabetes risk factors are being overweight, having a sedentary lifestyle, and having a family member with diabetes.<\/p>\n Type 2 diabetes does not turn into type 1 diabetes. One’s genetics determine the type of diabetes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Diabetes is a chronic illness and requires life-long management. Diabetes management for the elderly presents unique challenges due to their advanced age. As one gets older, the complications associated with diabetes can become more severe. Fortunately, older adults can manage blood sugar and avoid complications with regular care and vigilance. This article discusses essential […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":12377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1671,1783,20,1799],"tags":[2136,212,2134,2135],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12347"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12347"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12347\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12378,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12347\/revisions\/12378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n2. Frequent urination
\n3. Fatigue
\n4. Blurred vision
\n5. Unexplained weight loss
\n6. Numbness or tingling in hands or feet
\n7. Slow-healing cuts or wounds
\n8. Frequent skin infections<\/p>\nSteps for Diabetes Self-Care in the Elderly<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n\u2022 Increased difficulty in controlling blood sugar
\n\u2022 Heart disease
\n\u2022 Stroke
\n\u2022 Eye disease and subsequent blindness
\n\u2022 Nerve damage
\n\u2022 Kidney damage
\n\u2022 Premature death<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Exercising regularly
\n\u2022 Avoiding excess alcohol consumption<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Pneumonia Vaccine:<\/strong> For elderly adults with diabetes, doctors recommend a booster shot in addition to the pneumonia vaccine taken early in life.
\n\u2022 Hepatitis B Vaccine:<\/strong> For adults with diabetes and younger than 60 years of age, doctors recommend the hepatitis B vaccine if not taken before.
\n\u2022 Other Vaccines:<\/strong> Other vaccines, such as the tetanus vaccine, are advised for older adults having diabetes.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Flossing at least once a day
\n\u2022 Scheduling regular dental exams<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Avoid soaking feet, as it can cause dry skin and make it prone to cuts.
\n\u2022 Moisturize feet and ankles using lotion or petroleum jelly. However, too much moisture between the toes can cause infection.
\n\u2022 Check feet for cuts, wounds, and blisters daily.
\n\u2022 In case of a foot sore or wound that doesn’t heal in time, consult a doctor immediately.
\n\u2022 Avoid moving around barefoot both indoors and outdoors.<\/p>\nFAQs<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
1. What are the main diabetes risk factors?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Can type 2 diabetes convert into type 1?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n