Keep Your Diabetes Under Control

Taking care of diabetes is a team effort between you and your health care team (doctor, diabetes nurse educator, diabetes dietitian educator, pharmacist, and others). You are the most important member of the team. Take charge of your diabetes by learning what to do for good diabetes care.

There are other things that you can do either each day or one or more times a year to prevent diabetes problems. For example, to keep your feet healthy, check them each day. Ask your health care team whether you should take an aspirin every day to lower your risk for heart disease. To keep your eyes healthy, visit an eye doctor once a year for a complete eye examination that includes using drops in your eyes to dilate the pupils.

Once a year, your urine should be tested for protein. Also once a year, your health care provider should do a complete foot exam. See Things to Do Every Day for Good Diabetes Care for what you can do each day to stay healthy with diabetes. See Things for Your Health Care Provider to Look at Every Time You Have a Checkup for other things to check for good diabetes care.

• About Preventing Diabetes Problems
• What are diabetes problems?
• Will I have diabetes problems?
• What should my blood glucose numbers be?
• How can I find out what my average blood glucose is?
• What should my cholesterol be?
• What should my blood pressure be?
• What does smoking have to do with diabetes problems?
• What else can I do to prevent diabetes problems?
• Things to Check for Good Diabetes Care
• Things to Do Every Day for Good Diabetes Care
• Things for Your Health Care Provider to Look at Every Time You Have a Checkup to Control Diabetes
• Things for You or Your Health Care Provider to Do at Least Once or Twice a Year to Control Diabetes
• How to Use the Daily Diabetes Record Page
• For More Information About Keeping Your Diabetes Under Control