Once diabetes develops, its cure is not possible. The disease may be so mild that the person may not need either insulin or medicine or even marked dietetic restrictions. A well controlled diabetic can look forward to a normal or a near normal life for many years. To control diabetes, below are some useful guidelines that every diabetic should know.

1. If there is a history of diabetes in the family, it is advisable to have an annual checkup to rule out diabetes. Blood sugar test one and a half hours after a heavy breakfast or lunch is a useful screening test. However, it is desirable to do a glucose tolerance test at an early stage to detect diabetes.

2. For those already diabetic, a periodic checkup is necessary to monitor one's diabetes. This should include daily urine tests at home, and at least once a month, a blood sugar test is a reliable laboratory. Also, it is mandatory that once a year, a checkup of eyes, kidney, heart and feet is done by qualified specialists so that these complications, if present, can be diagnosed at an early stage and effectively treated before it becomes too late.

3. All diabetic patients need a suitable diet. In the case of many, especially those with an excess weight, it can be controlled by diet alone. In addition to diet, some need insulin and others can be treated with oral drugs. A combination of insulin and oral drugs may be useful at times. Exercise is an important part of the treatment of diabetes.

4. You should always aim to keep your blood sugar under control. It is also desirable to keep your body weight at the optimum level. Additionally, you should also frequently keep your blood pressure, as well as the serum cholesterol and triglycerides, the two fats in the blood, under control. This will greatly reduce the risk of developing diabetes complications, and help the diabetic live a long and healthy life.