Health Tips
Living with diabetes: the regular checks that protect your feet, eyes and kidneys
Diabetes is managed day to day at home, through food, activity and medicines. But some of its effects develop slowly and without symptoms. Regular checks find these changes early, while they are easier to treat.
Why regular checks matter
High blood sugar over months and years can damage small blood vessels and nerves. The parts of the body most affected are the feet, the eyes, the kidneys and the heart. Many people feel completely well while this damage begins. Checks are the only way to know.
The checks most people with diabetes need
Your doctor will tell you how often you need each check. As a general guide:
- Blood sugar control. Besides your own readings at home, a blood test can show your average blood sugar over the last two to three months (HbA1c). Many people have it every three to six months.
- Blood pressure. High blood pressure and diabetes together raise the risk of heart disease and stroke. It is usually checked at every visit.
- Cholesterol. A lipid profile shows the fats in your blood that affect your heart. Most people with diabetes have it at least once a year.
- Kidney function. A blood test and a urine test show how well your kidneys are working. Early kidney changes can often be slowed.
- Feet. A foot check looks at skin, circulation and feeling in your feet. Reduced feeling means a small cut or blister can go unnoticed and become infected.
- Eyes. An eye examination looks at the back of the eye (the retina). Changes there usually cause no symptoms until they are advanced.
Looking after your feet at home
- Look at your feet every day, including between the toes. Use a mirror or ask a family member if needed.
- Wash and dry them carefully, especially between the toes.
- Wear well-fitting shoes, and avoid walking barefoot, even at home.
- Do not cut corns or hard skin yourself.
- See a doctor the same day if you find a cut, blister, colour change or swelling that does not improve.
Food and activity
Small, steady changes work better than strict diets that are hard to keep up. Regular meals, more vegetables, fewer sugary drinks and refined starches, and about 30 minutes of walking on most days all help. Ask for advice that fits the food you actually eat.
When to see a doctor straight away
- Very high or very low blood sugar readings that you cannot bring back to your usual range
- Confusion, drowsiness, or fainting
- Vomiting and being unable to keep fluids down
- A foot wound that is red, swollen, warm or smells
Diabetes care at Kileleshwa Medical Plaza
The plaza offers blood sugar testing, diabetes reviews and treatment plans, diet and lifestyle advice, and foot and eye checks for diabetes. The laboratory and pharmacy are in the same building, so tests and medicines can be done in one visit. The plaza is open every day from 9 am to 9 pm. Book a diabetes review or message us on WhatsApp.
This article is general information and does not replace advice from your own doctor.