Citizens Memorial Hospital | Vitality | Fall 2018

4 VITALITY Fall 2018 What’s an A1C test for diabetes? When you have diabetes, keeping your blood sugar from going too high may help you avoid or delay some pretty serious health complications. But how do you know if you’re accomplishing that goal over time? Your health care provider will order a blood test called an A1C to help take a look. If you check your blood sugar (glucose) at home, it gives you a snapshot of your diabetes control. The A1C test is more like a time- lapse photo. It shows your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. The American Diabetes Association recommends having an A1C test at least twice a year. Your provider will decide what’s right for you. A1C test results are often reported as a percentage. A good goal for many people with diabetes is less than 7 percent. If your A1C test result is above your goal, it can mean that your blood sugar level has been high. If this happens, try not to let it get you down. Instead, ask your provider what you can do to get your blood sugar back on track. For example, one change could be to get more exercise. HEART FAILURE Why you may need to limit your fluids To help keep your heart failure under control, your doctor may have told you to watch the amount of water and other fluids you drink. But what does how much you drink have to do with the disease? The body tends to retain fluids with heart failure, which can make swelling, shortness of breath and other symptoms worse. Drinking too much fluid can add to the problem. That’s why limiting fluids is often part of managing the disease. To help watch your fluid intake: » » Ask your doctor how much you should drink every day. Consider using a notebook or a smartphone app to keep track. » » Use a small drinking cup. » » Try an alternate thirst quencher: Rinse your mouth with cold water, chew gum, suck on a slice of lemon or put a small piece of ice in your mouth. » » Know that some foods contain fluids, such as soups, gelatin and ice cream. A possible early sign that you’re retaining fluids may be weight gain. For this reason, your doctor may have you weigh yourself daily and report any sudden changes. Sources: American Heart Association; U.S. National Library of Medicine for good health: Laughter Don’t stifle that giggle, even if you feel silly. And by all means try to laugh at yourself. Seeing the silly side of life can boost your health—and that’s no joke. Laughter can: Relax your entire body. A big belly laugh tames physical tension and can ease tight muscles for up to 45 minutes. Rev up your immune system. Laughter increases the production of disease-fighting antibodies. Help your heart. Laughter increases blood flow and helps blood vessels work better, which can reduce your heart attack risk. Burn calories. Laughing hard for just 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn about 40 calories. WELLNESS