High Blood Sugar. Printable Materials

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1 Printable Materials

2 Activity Card #1 Symptoms of High Blood Sugar or Pre-Diabetes Symptoms People often don t know they have high blood sugar or pre-diabetes. There are no symptoms and pre-diabetes can only be diagnosed by a health care provider using a blood test. Even though there are no signs of high blood sugar, damage to your body may be occurring such as increasing your risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst, need to urinate, blurred vision, or a feeling of being tired most of the time for no apparent reason, and extreme hunger.

3 Activity Card #2 Pre-Diabetes or Diabetes Diagnosis There are two different blood tests that can help determine whether your blood sugar is high or if you have pre-diabetes. The simplest test is to have a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test. This test must be done on an empty stomach which means that a person may not eat or drink anything except for water, for at least eight hours before the test. If the fasting blood glucose is less than 100 mg/dl, this is considered normal A person with high blood glucose or pre-diabetes has a fasting blood glucose level from 100 to 125 mg/dl.

4 Activity Card #3 Pre-Diabetes or Diabetes Diagnosis The other test is called the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). This test measures how the body handles a standard amount of sugar or glucose that is given to the patient to drink. It measures the amount of glucose in a person s plasma before and two hours after drinking a large premeasured beverage containing glucose. A health care provider can then compare the before and after glucose levels to see how well the body processed the sugar. A person with pre-diabetes will have a blood glucose level between 140 and 199 mg/dl two hours after the premeasured drink. Normal blood glucose levels after the OGTT will be less than 140 mg/dl.

5 Activity Card #4 Controlling Pre-Diabetes Prevention Things you can do to control high blood sugar or pre-diabetes Be physically active your goal should be to exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week, or do 2 sessions of 15 minutes of exercise per session on most days of the week. Lose weight if you re overweight, about 5 percent to 7 percent of your body weight (about 10 pounds for a 200-lb. person). Stop smoking it can aggravate many problems that people with diabetes already face, such as heart and blood vessel disease. Eat healthy eat fiber-rich fruits and vegetables each day and choose whole grain foods. Cut down on fatty and fried foods. You still can have foods you enjoy, just eat smaller servings. Limit how much alcohol you drink up to 1 drink a day for women, 2 drinks a day for men. Take the medicines your health care provider prescribes, if any.

6 Activity Card #5 Pre-Diabetes and Other Health Problems Complications High blood sugar causing other health problems People with high blood sugar or pre-diabetes increase their risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke. With diabetes, the risk for other complications such as kidney disease, nerve and vision problems are also increased. Some of these problems may already be starting with high blood sugar.

7 : What You Need to Know What is type 2 diabetes? When you have type 2 diabetes, your body doesn t make enough insulin. In most cases, it does not use insulin the right way. Without insulin, the sugar from the foods you eat stays in your bloodstream and does not go into your cells. This makes your blood sugar high. I knew high blood sugar and diabetes ran in my family, but I never thought I could have it too. What is pre-diabetes? Pre-diabetes occurs when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to have diabetes. Many people with pre-diabetes develop diabetes. Too much sugar in your blood can damage different parts of your body. Eyes: Poor vision Feet: Loss of a foot Nerves: Loss of feeling in fingers and feet can t feel injuries Heart: Heart attacks Kidneys: Kidney failure Sex organs: Infections in women and sex problems in men Mouth: Gum disease Brain: Stroke Could you have diabetes or pre-diabetes? You may have a greater chance of getting diabetes or prediabetes if you: Have a parent, brother, or sister with it. Are African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Latino. Are a woman who gave birth to at least one baby weighing 9 or more pounds, or you had diabetes when you were pregnant. Have been told you have high blood pressure or if your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. Have high cholesterol. Are not physically active. Are overweight. Are 45 years old or older. A person with high blood sugar may: Be very thirsty or hungry a lot Feel very tired and worn out Have to urinate a lot especially at night Have blurry eyesight Lose weight (without trying) Even if you don t have any of these signs, you still may have diabetes. How can you tell if you have diabetes? As many as 1 out of 4 people who have diabetes don t even know it! That s because the symptoms can seem harmless. If you have any of the diabetes risk factors or symptoms, talk with your health care provider. There is a simple blood test you can have done. The test will tell you if your blood sugar is too high. Take steps today to stay healthy Get a blood sugar test if you have any of the risk factors for diabetes. You can keep from having problems from diabetes by taking good care of yourself.

8 Action Plan for High Blood Sugar Check off items from the list below that you will be able to change or improve. Or you can write in your own action items. Watch your weight. Eat foods that are lower in fat such as: low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. Lose weight slowly if you are overweight. Lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week. Be sure to talk with your health care provider about a weight goal that s right for you. Take your medicines. Take your medications or insulin the right way, each day, as your health care provider prescribed. Keep taking your medications unless your health care provider tells you to stop. Get moving each day. Take a walk most days of the week. Start out slowly and build up to at least half an hour. Sign up for an exercise or swimming class. Ask a friend to go with you. Always check with your health care provider before starting any new exercise program. If you have eye problems, talk with your health care provider about how to stay active without hurting your eyes. There was no way around it I needed to lose weight. My husband and I skipped cake for dessert and ate fresh fruit instead. We even started dance lessons. Now I have more energy! Make a meal plan that works. Eat healthy foods. Find out what a good diet includes. Work with a dietitian to come up with a meal plan that keeps your blood sugar under control. Check your blood sugar. Ask your health care provider how often you need to check your blood sugar with a blood glucose meter. Write down your blood sugar results. Follow the treatment plan you and your health care provider decide upon. Ask your health care provider what you need to do if your blood sugar goes too low or too high. Other 1. Are the items that you have chosen achievable? Yes No 2. What will you do to make these changes? 3. When will you make these changes? Reasons to reach your goal. Did you know...? Two-thirds of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. More than 17 million people in the United States have diabetes. NPC00954-F June 2010 Pfizer. All Rights Reserved.