A thing about being medical patient is that you’re quite impatient about your health. No that’s not a paradox, a patient seeking services of a medical advisor is always impatient about what’s going on with their body and thereby want to know more about it. Maybe it’s a reason why confront the doctor with a list of questions, don’t we?

But hey that’s a good thing to do. Asking the doctor, a host of interrogative questions will help the doctor and yourself know better about your health and proper diagnosis shall follow upon. In fact, it’s strongly advised to speak off clearly with your doctor when it comes health issues.

However, there have been times when we’ve been reluctant to ask questions to our doctor. And at other times, doctors have been reluctant to discuss the whole terminology at once. This might necessarily not be a good practice to preach upon. And when the case renders diabetes, there’s every need that you ask your doctor things relating to your case.

So here we are, with a list of questions to allow you impetus on your diabetic symptoms and case. This will help you out on your next visit to the doctor or the endocrinologist as we know by.

Read along and get to know the ‘List of Questions to Ask an Endocrinologist (Diabetes Specialist) as a patient’.

1. How often should I check my blood sugar levels?

• The first and foremost thing to ask your endocrinologist is how often you should be checking your blood sugar levels. A patient on an insulin shot will require around 4 testing of blood sugar levels in a day whereas the one with no insulin shots will only be required to do so twice during a day. Your doctor will help you with the matter and might even provide a personalized program for yourself.

2. When was my A1 C tested last time?

• A1C tests are carried out to known the know the blood sugar levels in an individual over a period of three months. These tests show the average levels of blood sugar in a person in during the three-month time period. Generally, this test allows determining whether a patient is suffering from Type 1 or Type 2 of diabetes.
• Always ask about your last A1C tests with your doctor as the stats of the test will help reveal the bigger picture about your health. As for the guideline, always look to have a reading of 7% or lower when it comes to A1C tests.

Read Also: How to Lower Your A1C Level with These Simple Steps?

3. What about my lipid profile results?

• Something not to be left out, lipid profile tests help determine your blood fat levels, i.e. the cholesterol and triglycerides. The blood fats in the form of cholesterol and triglycerides are essential in finding the well being of your health.
• Always look to ask your endocrinologist about the lipid test profile of you. As a matter of fact, lipid profile tests should show below 100 for LDL (bad cholesterol) and less than 150 for the triglycerides.

4. What should my diet regime look like?

• There has been a norm around to follow what you call a universal diabetic diet for every patient out there. But the thing is every patient is different to another and thus requires a specialized diet program that goes in hand with the treatment procedure.
• Ask your doctor to guide you on a proper diet regime that helps you be on the forefront of health safety without compromising on the nutrients side.

5. What about my blood pressure?

• A stable blood pressure is vital to having a managed diabetes. Any abnormal instance of blood pressure will affect adversely in curbing the diabetic signs. A high blood pressure levels might cause damage to the blood vessels which severally affects the nerves. Seek guidance with your doctor on your blood pressure levels and help keep it in balance. As a matter of fact, your blood pressure levels should be around 130/80.

Read Also: Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

6. Am I at a risk for other health problems?

• Diabetes on its part can conceive a whole lot of complications in life. There have been instances of eye-related, kidney related and liver related issues converging in the long run in diabetic patients. A short inquiry with your doctor about your diabetic status and whether it puts you at a risk for further health hazards will help you manage your health better and be on the safe side.

Read Also: Diabetic Retinopathy: It’s Causes, Symptoms, Treatment of Diabetic Eye Disease

7) Should I seek guidance on doctors specializing in eye or heart as part of diabetic treatment?

• As we talked about in the above case, diabetes puts a person at a risk for further complications in life. A poorly managed diabetes is what causes a person to suffer from those issues of eyes and hearts later on. Having a proper guidance on the matter is a top priority for any diabetic patient.
• Ask your doctor as to whether you’re at a risk for those issues or not. Also, seek answers as to should you consult an eye specialist or a heart specialist as part of the preventive measure against those issues.

Read Also: Diabetes and Cardiovascular (Heart) Disease: What’s the Connection?

8. Will exercise help me in curbing my diabetes?

• Exercise on the most part is an essential program in a diabetic patient’s treatment procedure. Almost all the diabetic patients are recommended with exercise regime to help manage the blood sugar levels better. But there are cases where some patients adhering to their health status are advised not be indulged in any physical activity.
• Ask your doctor about it and find whether your body can acclimatize to exercise or not and if it does what should your exercise regime look like.

Read Also: 13 Best Exercise Tips for Type 2 Diabetes People

9. Should there be any new medications added in my prescription?

• Doctors advise diabetic patients with the best options in terms of medications to help manage the health of the patient. But there are times when new dosage or new medications might be needed on or even replaced upon.
• Ask your endocrinologist about your medications and seek whether there should be any changes in it or not.

10. What should be my optimum body weight?

• Well, this may sound a little silly, but body weight is extremely vital in treating your diabetes. An overweight or obese body is more likely to suffer from complications in life and a diabetic patient with normal body weight. Have an opinion of your doctor about your body weight so that you can be in the best state possible to curb diabetes.

Read Also: Diabetes and Obesity: Does Being Fat Cause Diabetes? Know The Facts

The Bottom Line

Diabetes is known to cause quite a health hazard in life and managing it is the only way forward. Rather than neglecting the issue, it’s always strongly advised to have a talk with your doctor about your issue so that you can help yourself. An endocrinologist or diabetes specialist is best placed to help you on your matters and having a proper interrogation about your health will help both the parties in knowing the health status of yours better. That goes a long way in treating and curbing your diabetic issues.

Well, that’s all from us on this one. We’ll be back with another one the next time round. Till then, stay safe and stay healthy.