Living with a chronic disease—like Type-1 or Type-2 diabetes—can be confusing and alarming during a global pandemic like the one we are facing. It can lead to anxiety and depression for healthy adults coping with a host of unknowns. For people with diabetes, underlying disease-related distress or mental health concerns can be amplified by the stressors caused by lack of or limited access to insulin and other medications, disruptions to daily routines, and reduced accessibility to healthy foods. Whether you’ve been recently diagnosed or have been managing the disease for years, a new mindset or approach could improve your quality of life and overall mental health during uncertain times.
Learn to shop for groceries during a pandemic.
Leaving one’s home to purchase necessities like groceries during a pandemic can be a daunting task, especially for people living with diabetes. Maddison Saalinger, a registered dietitian, and Shelley Nicholls, a certified diabetes care and education specialist at the Diabetes Research Institute, outlined some grocery-shopping tips to get you in and out of the store quickly, while still making healthy choices.
Ask the important questions.
How people react to a diabetes diagnosis is always very different. While some patients choose to completely ignore it, others worry it can mean the end of their life, according to Dr. Rajesh Kumar Garg, an endocrinologist who serves as the director of UHealth’s Comprehensive Diabetes Center. As the number of adults living with diabetes continues to rise in the United States, there are a number of common concerns that many patients are still reluctant to discuss with their health care providers. Learn about the most frequently unvoiced questions, as well as diabetes symptoms, treatment options, and home remedies.
Make the best of your diagnosis.
As our population ages there are more and more individuals living with chronic illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s, and Crohn’s, to name a few. For most patients, the illness exacts a heavy toll, both physical and mental. Dr. Elizabeth A. Crocco, a geriatric psychiatrist at UHealth, offers suggestions for patients determined to make the best of a chronic illness diagnosis.
Find support.
If you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, whether Type-1 or Type-2, the thought of navigating this new health landscape might seem unsettling, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, actively participating in your health management and care and finding the right support will aid your transition into your new lifestyle. Having Type-1 diabetes does not mean the end of your normal life. Read more tips from Dr. Garg for easing into your new normal.
Access the medical care you need at a UHealth facility or via telehealth by scheduling an appointment. Find additional information about scheduling or call 305-243-4000.
Live Well with UHealth is a series highlighting curated content from articles previously published on UMiami Health News, a site that shares useful health tips and insights into research discoveries that change lives, brought to you by the experts at UHealth—University of Miami Health System. This story highlights the following articles:
- Grocery shopping tips for diabetics by Maddison Saalinger and Shelley Nicholls, June 2, 2020
- (In)frequently asked questions about diabetes by Dana Kantrowitz, Feb. 6, 2020
- Don't let chronic illness get the better of you by Ana Veciana-Suarez, Dec. 19, 2019
- Type 1 diabetes: Innovative answers sought for increasing epidemic by UHealth, Jan. 19, 2018
- Diagnosed with diabetes? by Nancy Moreland, Aug. 14, 2019
