Diabetes does pose some challenges for patients. But “the more patients know about diabetes, the more they know about how to control their blood sugar, and the better the situation will be. Golden, a diabetes specialist, says the more patients know, the better they can manage their diabetes and cope with any work situation. Here are some tips and suggestions for managing your diabetes so that you can do your job at your best.
The right way to start your workday
Everyone is on a tight schedule in the morning. But nutritionists say breakfast is essential, especially during the workday. If you have diabetes, skipping breakfast while on medication can lead to a dangerously low blood sugar state, which not only affects your health and safety, but often your work performance as well. A healthy breakfast of fat-free yogurt, whole grain cereal, eggs, or even whole wheat bread with cream cheese can make for a productive day. Having an eating plan during the workday is important because it helps people with diabetes to be on target for energy and focus throughout the day.
One way to do this is to bring lunch and snacks from home. This way, patients know what to eat. If insulin is used, the patient needs to prepare some food to eat after the injection. This way, when the time between the injection and the meal is too long, you can have a snack to prevent possible hypoglycemia problems.
If it is not convenient or conditions do not allow for bringing your own lunch to work, then patients will have to settle for lunch at a cafeteria, fast food restaurant, or lunch truck. When choosing what to eat, patients must select the most appropriate foods based on blood sugar and calorie count.
For efficiency, experts recommend making a list of “safe foods” so that no matter where or when the patient eats them, there will be no problems.
Measuring blood glucose levels and using insulin
Patients also need to measure their blood glucose while they are at work. By having a small plan, it is easier for patients to adapt to measuring their blood glucose during the workday.
Many bosses or co-workers are concerned about blood and blood collection kits. It is a good idea for patients to have a small kit in advance to store blood collection needles cleanly and neatly so that such concerns are not a problem. Empty milk cartons are a good choice. Patients can keep them in their desk drawer along with a packet of individually wrapped alcohol swabs that can be used to wipe their fingers before testing, helping to ensure accurate testing and easy cleanup.
Sometimes it’s not possible to do a blood glucose test quietly at your desk, and having everything in a small bag makes it easy to quickly take it to the bathroom for testing.
It can be hard to use insulin at work. But that’s not the case. The new insulin pen does not need to be refrigerated, and this pen is suitable for discreet use anywhere. Patients just need to spend some time practicing and getting familiar.
Patients may also want to consider the new long-acting insulins. Long-acting insulins can reduce the number of injections needed each day and make it easier to manage diabetes in the workplace.
If insulin must be refrigerated, but neither have a refrigerator to use nor want colleagues to know about it, products such as ice packs keep the medication cold all day. This product has a small reusable freezing insert that sits in the bottom of the freezer bag and keeps it cold for up to 8 hours.
To confess or not to confess?
There must be at least one person in the workplace who knows about the patient’s condition, especially if they are on insulin. This person can be a colleague, a nurse, or a work supervisor.
The patient should tell this person that he or she has diabetes, describe to him or her what the symptoms are when the blood sugar gets too low, and tell him or her the basic emergency treatment.
The patient should carry glucagon – either at his desk or with him – and make sure that someone in the workplace knows how to use it to relieve the patient’s symptoms in an emergency. Glucagon is an injectable drug that raises blood sugar in an emergency, not only saving the patient’s life, but also making co-workers more understanding of the behavior that occurs when a patient is hypoglycemic – if blood sugar is too low, the patient can become irritable or even prone to emotional outbursts.
If a patient can’t tell if their blood sugar is lower, consider wearing a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) watch. It alerts you when your glucose falls below a certain level.
Even if a trusted colleague is aware of the patient’s condition, the patient should inform the supervisor. There are several key points to keep in mind during the communication process: first, what does the patient want to achieve from this conversation? Second, what kind of help does the patient need in the workplace to do his or her job successfully? Finally, what are the patient’s thoughts on how to achieve this?
Throughout, the patient should talk in a positive and willing manner, and also have established solutions to discuss any problems that may be encountered. For example, how can the patient make time for a snack or short break to test blood glucose or inject insulin?
7 tips for getting things done
How can patients become more comfortable managing their diabetes at work? Here are 7 tips from experts.
- Always keep glucose-rich foods in your pocket or within reach to consume when you need them. Hard candy is a glucose supplement that is appropriate for meetings.
- Take a break on the pretext of going to the bathroom and then take that time to eat something.
- Patients must explain to their supervisor what inconveniences they will experience in managing their diabetes.
- Get enough sleep. Stress can also have a significant negative impact on a patient’s blood sugar, and lack of sleep can be extremely stressful.
- Stay hydrated throughout the day.
- When the office has a birthday party or holiday celebration, patients can attend and eat a small piece of cake.
- Healthy snacks can keep blood sugar in check during a high-pressure workday and keep the patient’s mood normal. For example, nuts, bars and nutritional shakes are quick to eat and do not spoil when left at room temperature.