15questions to ask your doctor about diabetes
15 Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Diabetes
So you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes and are preparing for an appointment with your primary health care provider. This Buzzle article enlists a few questions that you should ask the doctor about diabetes and how can you prevent it from developing.
Keeping your health-care team updated about any changes in your health will help them work efficiently for your betterment.
Coping with the diagnosis of diabetes can be very stressful, and you may feel very low after knowing that you have diabetes. You might feel depressed and think about the effects on your physical health. For instance, your basic knowledge about diabetes will make you wary about how it will affect your vision, feet, or heart. If we think about the mental state of the person diagnosed with diabetes, some people, initially, deny their illness or feel angry about whatever has happened, while others feel extremely guilty and fearful about the future.
However, it is important to understand that feeling depressed and denying that you have diabetes may worsen the situation. Instead, getting in touch with your primary health care provider and communicating your queries will relieve you from emotional distress and give you a proper direction to keep your diabetes under control. Learning about the illness would be the first step towards feeling better and living a longer and healthier life.
Important Questions about Diabetes to Ask Your Doctor
1. What is the cause of my diabetes?
2. What type of diabetes do I have and are the treatment options similar for type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
3. Does getting diabetes mean I am at a higher risk of other medical problems?
4. Will I have to visit other doctors for my eye care or any other health issues?
5. What are the primary risk factors?
6. Will I have to cut down on my favorite food items in order to keep the illness under control?
7. Do I need to lose weight to bring my diabetes under control?
8. What is the importance of diet for managing diabetes?
9. How often do I need to check my blood sugar level?
10. What are the possible complications and how do I deal with them?
11. Are there any new medications that could help manage my diabetes better?
12. Are there any specific timings to be followed while taking medications?
13. Does exercise help in keeping the illness under control.
14. Are my children at a higher risk of getting diabetes?
15. What are the precautionary measures to prevent my children from diabetes?
Other Questions to Ask Your Doctor
► Will I have diabetes for my entire life?
► Does pre-diabetes always develop into a serious disease?
► Are there any stages of diabetes and if yes, what are they?
► Can I conceive if I have diabetes?
► Does diabetes affect fetal development?
► What is gestational diabetes?
► If I have other health problems, how should I manage them together?
Apart from your efforts, the doctor's support is also important in dealing with diabetes in a better way. Hence, after your visit to the doctor you can ask a few questions to yourself and determine whether you are getting appropriate support from the health care provider or not. Did the doctor listen to my queries? Was he concerned about my diabetes control? Did he answer all of my questions? Now you have a good list of questions to put forth during your appointment with the doctor and help yourself to manage your diabetes for a longer time.