ABC's Of Diabetes GlossaryUse our glossary to find out more about diabetes... Learning about diabetes management can sometimes be compared to going back to school. You may have to learn how
to eat differently. You may need to exercise again! "ABC's Of Diabetes" is an attempt to get you started on your road to learning and
improvement. A -age Age shouldn't play a role in deciding to improve your diabetes management plan. It doesn't matter how young or old you
are. If you feel that you want and need to improve your diabetes management plan, start today. B- blood glucose monitoring Blood glucose monitoring is something all diabetics need to do. It doesn't matter if the person is Type I, Type II, or whether or not the person is taking diabetes medication. ALL diabetics need to test their blood glucose levels regularly. Blood glucose monitoring helps you know if your diabetes management plan is working. It can also be useful in
determining how much insulin and/or oral medications to take to help control diabetes. C- carbohydrate A carbohydrate is one of the three main classes of foods. It's a source of energy and are mainly made of sugars
and starches. If the body does not have enough insulin, or can't use insulin efficiently (in the case of some Type II diabetics) it can't
use carbohydrates for energy the way it D-define (your goals) Define your goals. Do you need to lose weight? Start testing your blood glucose level more often?
Make a list of short-term and long- term goals. When you reach your goals make new ones. Try to acknowledge small changes as well as major
changes. E-exercise Exercise is critical to diabetes management. Exercise is important even if you don't need to lose weight.
Exercise is used along with eating and medications to help control diabetes. F-fasting blood glucose Fasting blood glucose is your blood glucose reading when you wake up in the morning, before you eat anything.
This reading is not only important for home glucose monitoring, but it is also used to show if a person has diabetes. G- glucose Glucose is a simple sugar that is found in the blood. Glucose is the body's main source of energy. Glucose
is also produced by the liver. H-hemoglobin A1C Hemoglobin A1C is the substance of red blood cells that carries oxygen to the cells. Some of it joins with
glucose. This can be measured to give a person his/her average diabetes control over the past 3-4 months. I-insulin Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy. It's made in the pancreas. A person with
diabetes may have to inject insulin. J-journal Journals are great for diabetes management. You can keep a journal of the foods you eat, of your blood glucose levels, and for anything else you want to keep track of. Keeping a journal also makes it easy for you to report your readings to your doctor since they're always in one convenient place. You may want to keep track of your feelings and experiences in a journal. Doing this can help you chart your
progress and let you know when you need to set or change your diabetes management goals. Read over your journals weekly to make any changes
in your diabetes management and/or weight reduction goals/plans/schedules. K-ketone bodies (ketones) Ketones are chemicals the body makes when there isn't enough insulin in the blood. Ketone bodies can poison and
kill body cells. Two symptoms that indicate the presence of ketones are a fruity breath odor and a rapid pulse. If a diabetic thinks
they have ketones they should contact their doctor immediately since it can lead to coma and death. L-laser treatment Laser treatment involves using a strong beam of light (laser) to heal a damaged area. A person with diabetes
might be treated with a laser beam to heal blood vessels in the eye. M-meal plan A meal plan is a guide for controlling the amount of food a person eats. The meal plan can include guides for calories, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, sodium and many other things. People with diabetes can use meal plans such as the Exchange System and the Carbohydrate Counting System N-neuropathy Neuropathy is a disease of the nervous system. Many people who have had diabetes for a while can get neuropathy. Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy (usually affecting the feet and legs) can include burning, tingling, and numbness. Autonomic neuropathy mostly affects the internal organs, such as the digestive tract, the cardiovascular system, the bladder muscles and the genital organs. Mononeuropathy is a form of neuropathy that affects a single nerve. The eye is a common site for this form of
neuropathy. O-Ophthalmologist A doctor who sees and treats people with eye problems or disease. A person with diabetes should make sure they get
their eyes checked on a regular basis. P-pancreas The pancreas is an organ located behind the lower part of the stomach. The pancreas makes insulin the body needs to
use glucose. It also makes enzymes that help the body digest food. Q-quarts (of water) Water! Drink water (2 quarts recommended) every day. Water has no calories. If you're overweight it
might even give you a "full" feeling throughout the day. Get a water bottle that you can carry around if you're on the go. R-retinopathy Retinopathy is a disease of the small blood vessels of the retina of the eye. S-sliding scale Using a sliding scale involves adjusting your insulin dosage on the basis of blood glucose tests, meals and activity
levels. T-Type I Diabetes/Type II Diabetes Type I diabetes is also called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). If a person has Type I diabetes the pancreas makes little or no insulin. A person with Type I diabetes has to inject insulin. This type of diabetes is also known as "juvenile diabetes" and "juvenile-onset diabetes. Type II diabetes is also known as noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). This is the most common form
of diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people who have diabetes have this form. Type II diabetics can control diabetes with oral
medications, diet & exercise,insulin injections, or a combination of the three. This type of
diabetes is also known as "adult- onset diabetes" and "maturity-onset diabetes". U-unit of insulin This is the basic unit of measure of insulin. U-100 insulin means there are 100 units of insulin per
milliliter. V-Vascular Relating to the body's blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries) W-weight loss Weight loss can be part of your diabetes management plan. If you're overweight the extra fat on your body can
interfere with diabetes control. Losing weight is often the first thing an overweight diabetic is told to do. X-Xylitol Xylitol is a sweetener found in plants. It is used as a substitute for sugar. It is called a nutritive sweetener because it provides calories, just like sugar. Y-yard Get out in the yard and pull some weeds! Yes, exercise doesn't always have to include exercise equipment and sweat clothes. You can get exercise into your life by doing work around the house (painting, cleaning, etc..) or by adding it to your normal day (walking to work, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, etc). Z-zone The target zone for your blood glucose control has to be set by you and your doctor. Some people aim for tight control (bgs in the 70-120 range), while others may aim for another type of control. For instance, if someone works at heavy labor they may want their blood glucose levels to be in the 140-150 range to guard against them having a hypoglycemic reaction (insulin reaction). This may also be true for some older people who can't take care of themselves enough to treat an insulin low, so they aim for a higher blood glucose level.
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