Keeping Well with Diabetes

Full text version

Date of publication: 2001This booklet has been written for people who get diabetes when they are adults.

You can read it online in English or download it in PDF format in several languages.

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This booklet is for people who get diabetes when they are adults.

“Taking care of my diabetes helps me stay well.”

What is diabetes?

Who is at risk?

Managing diabetes

Healthy Eating

Regular Exercise

Check your Feet

Healthy Weight

Blood Sugar Levels

Hypo - Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycaemia)

How to Treat a Hypo

Hyper - High Blood Sugar (Hyperglycaemia)

Managing High Blood Sugar

Diabetes Organisations

Tips for Keeping Healthy

booklet is for eople who
get diabtes when they are adults
What is diabetes?

Diabetes is when you have too much sugar in your blood.

Some adults who develop diabetes may have no symptoms.

Others may:

• feel very thirsty

• pass a lot of urine

• feel very tired

• have blurred vision

• have urinary infections, skin infections

• heal slowly.

People who think they may have diabetes should see their doctor or nurse.

If diabetes is not treated it can lead to damage of the heart, eyes, feet, kidneys and other parts of the body.
Who is at risk?

People who:

• are overweight

• do little exercise

• have diabetes in the family/whanau

• are over 40 years of age

• are Maori or Pacific Island.

Also women who have had:

• diabetes in pregnancy

• large babies.

Managing diabetes

There is no cure for diabetes. But there are things you can do to stay well.

Your doctor or diabetes nurse will teach you how to keep your blood sugar at a healthy level and to keep healthy.

Managing your diabetes might mean:

• eating healthy food and exercising regularly, or

• eating healthy food, exercising regularly, and taking tablets, or

• eating healthy food, exercising regularly, and having insulin injections (insulin helps remove the sugar from the blood), or

• eating healthy food, exercising regularly, having insulin injections and taking tablets.

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Related information

Diabetes homepage