{"id":205255,"date":"2018-09-06T22:58:06","date_gmt":"2018-09-06T22:58:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/5f17670acf5743285.temporary.link\/rohsi.org\/?p=205255"},"modified":"2018-09-06T22:58:06","modified_gmt":"2018-09-06T22:58:06","slug":"getting-older-get-these-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rohsi.org\/?p=205255","title":{"rendered":"GETTING OLDER? GET THESE TESTS."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Reference\u00a0Reviewed by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/michael-dansinger-md\">Michael Dansinger, MD<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When you have diabetes, you need to worry about other health conditions, too. The longer you have the disease &#8212; into your 50s and beyond &#8212; the greater you are at risk for problems with your feet, your vision, your heart, your kidneys, and more.<\/p>\n<p>This is why it\u2019s crucial to see your doctor often: He\u2019ll make sure that you have your diabetes under control, and he\u2019ll see if other health problems are cropping up. You\u2019ll probably need to visit his office every 3 months unless he tells you to come less often. (Some people who have their diabetes well under control may only need to visit the doctor every 6 months.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>These tests will help make sure you aren\u2019t at risk of further health problems:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Blood Sugar Test<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Your doctor needs to know how well you control your blood sugar levels. He\u2019ll give you an A1c test, which shows your average over the past 3 months. If you have it under control, he may only need to do this test every 6 months. If you\u2019re still getting there, you\u2019ll need to be tested every 3 months. You should aim for an A1c level of around 7% or less to avoid more health problems.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Get it done:<\/em><\/strong><strong>\u00a0Every 3 to 6 months<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Blood Pressure Check<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>People with diabetes are more likely to have high blood pressure, which raises your chances of getting heart disease. Your doctor should check your blood pressure at every office visit. If it\u2019s too high, he may suggest lifestyle changes or prescribe a drug to help lower it. You want your readings to be below 130\/80.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Get it done:<\/em><\/strong><strong>\u00a0Every time you see your doctor<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Weight<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re overweight, your doctor may talk to you about your diet and exercise plan. Those extra pounds can make it harder to manage your blood sugar. Losing weight can help lower your blood pressure and your risk of heart disease. It doesn\u2019t have to be a drastic change; your health can improve if you lose even 10 or 15 pounds.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Get it done:<\/em><\/strong><strong>\u00a0Every time you see your doctor<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Foot Exam<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Foot problems are common with diabetes, so you and your doctor need to stay on top of your foot health. You should carefully wash, dry, and inspect your feet at home every day. Nerve damage in your feet and legs can keep you from noticing when you hurt yourself. Your doctor will want to check them at each office visit.<\/p>\n<p>People with diabetes also may have blood flow problems, which makes it harder for foot wounds to heal. A tiny cut, sore, or blister could grow into a foot ulcer that\u2019s tricky to treat. If it gets severely infected, your foot or leg may need to be removed.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Get it done:<\/em>\u00a0Every time you see your doctor<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Dental Check-up<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t neglect your mouth. When you have diabetes, you\u2019re at greater risk of gum disease. It\u2019s more likely when your blood sugar is out of whack. Even if you have it under control through brushing, flossing and rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash, you should still see your dentist for checkups to make sure your mouth is healthy.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Get it done:<\/em><\/strong><strong>\u00a0Every 6 months<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Kidney Test<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re more likely to have kidney disease when you have diabetes, so your doctor will want to monitor them. He\u2019ll test your urine to make sure your kidneys are working like they should. If you have kidney disease, treating it early can keep it from getting worse.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Get it done:<\/em><\/strong><strong>\u00a0Every year<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Cholesterol Test<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>High cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease. Your doctor will check them at least yearly to make sure they\u2019re in a healthy range. He can prescribe medicine to lower your cholesterol if you need it.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Get it done:<\/em><\/strong><strong>\u00a0Every year<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Eye Exam<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>People with diabetes are at greater risk of vision problems. You\u2019re more likely to have trouble with your eyes if your blood sugar or blood pressure levels are too high. To keep tabs on your vision and eye health, see an eye doctor at least yearly for a thorough exam. He\u2019ll dilate your pupils to see whether you have any problems.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Get it done:<\/em><\/strong><strong>\u00a0Every year<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/diabetes\/diabetes-preventive-tests?ecd=wnl_dia_090118&amp;ctr=wnl-dia-090118_nsl-ld-stry_1&amp;mb=NEGP480IoNwEKR8ZPFIqJg7W9SlMHoOnoFFuxMaknB8%3d#2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GETTING OLDER? GET THESE TESTS.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reference\u00a0Reviewed by\u00a0Michael Dansinger, MD When you have diabetes, you need to worry about other health conditions, too. The longer you have the disease &#8212; into your 50s and beyond &#8212; the greater you are at risk for problems with your feet, your vision, your heart, your kidneys, and more. This is why it\u2019s crucial to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-205255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-tips"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>GETTING OLDER? GET THESE TESTS. - Rays of Hope Support Initiative<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rohsi.org\/?p=205255\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"GETTING OLDER? 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