Diabetes Checklist

Written By: Renee E. Amori, MD

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and it’s a good time to review your diabetes list of “Things to Do.”  Taking your medications, having diabetes education classes, and checking blood sugars are very important, but not the only things that people with diabetes need to remember.  Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, you have to do some regular “maintenance” to reduce your chance of having complications develop.

Here are a few things that you should be doing as part of your regular diabetes care plan:

Have you had you had your eye exam?
Diabetes is a leading cause of vision loss.  You should have a dilated eye exam once a year

Do you check your feet daily or see a Podiatrist?
Daily foot care decreases the chance of infections, which can lead to amputations.  If you don’t know how to care for your feet, then seeing a Podiatrist for care is helpful.

Have you seen the dentist?
Regular dental visits reduce the chance of gum disease and tooth loss from high blood sugars.

Did you get your flu vaccine?
We recommend everyone with diabetes get the flu vaccine yearly.

Are you do for any other vaccine?
You may benefit from vaccines against other medical conditions.  Check with your doctor or health care provider to see if this applies to you.

It is important not only to do these things in November but all year long. Make sure your are keeping up with all of these and continue living a healthy life!