Diabetes is a lifestyle disease. In diabetes, you have to be your 24X7 doctor. The everyday choices you make affect your diabetes greatly. If you visit the doctor regularly, it is you who has to manage your diabetes yourself at home/office. So, self management is extremely important. ADA (American Diabetes Association) has listed Diabetes Self management Education as an essential part of diabetes care. It is very important to have the right knowledge to keep diabetes away. Lack of correct knowledge is the biggest reason for diabetes. Most people are unaware of what causes diabetes, and, what will keep diabetes away.
Diabetes self-management education includes knowledge and skill to manage diabetes. Self management educations helps people with diabetes initiate effective self-management and cope with diabetes when they are first diagnosed. Diabetes self-management education helps people to stay healthy and prevent costly complications, yet very few people with diabetes attend a course. Self management education in diabetes gives confidence to take control of their condition. Basic knowledge and skill areas that are essential for the self management education for a person with diabetes are self blood glucose monitoring, monitoring of relevant health parameters, healthy eating, physical activity, stress management, incorporating an exercise regimen, prevention and management of hypo-/hyperglycemia, prevention of other complications of diabetes, and adjusting medication as prescribed by the doctor.