7 Tips to prevent diabetes type 1

Having type 1 diabetes puts you at greater risk for a number of health complications including infection, kidney failure, and blindness. But by controlling your blood sugar, you can prevent or delay the onset of many of these complications. Making healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, and taking your diabetes medications as prescribed can help you manage your blood sugar. Need a target goal? Your A1C, the blood test that indicates your average blood sugar over a three-month period, is an excellent starting point. "If you keep your A1C under 7, it will help prevent complications," says Sarfraz Zaidi, MD, director of the Jamila Diabetes and Endocrine Medical Center and an endocrinologist at Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Working closely with your doctor can help you develop an effective diabetes management plan to control your blood sugar, says Dr. Zaidi, the author of "Take Charge of Your Diabetes." Plan a healthy diet that you'll stick to and a workout schedule with regular exercise. Whether you give yourself insulin with injections or have an insulin pump, a huge part of controlling type 1 diabetes is knowing how much insulin you need and when you need it. Here are seven ways to help prevent or delay complications from uncontrolled type 1 diabetes.

1. Preventing Cognitive Issues

Type 1 diabetes can lead to changes in brain function, leading to cognitive issues such as confusion and memory loss. Memory issues in particular can be caused by both high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), so steady blood sugar levels are important. To manage your diabetes, follow your doctor's advice and take your insulin as needed. Regular exercise, a nutritious diet, healthy lifestyle habits, and reduced stress can also help you avoid brain changes.

2. Preventing Skin Disorders

Even your skin can be affected by type 1 diabetes. People with diabetes are more prone to skin conditions, including bacterial, fungal, and yeast infections. "When your blood sugar is high, your immune system doesn't work right," Zaidi says, which means you have trouble fighting off infection. In addition to managing your blood sugar, reduce your risk for this diabetes complication with good skin care. Keep your skin clean and well-moisturized. Clean and cover any cuts, scrapes, and burns. Never let skin issues fester. See your doctor if you have a skin problem that doesn't heal quickly.

3. Preventing Eye Problems

The longer you live with type 1 diabetes, the more likely you are to develop eye-related diabetes complications. The most common eye complication is diabetic retinopathy, a disease that destroys the small blood vessels in the retina of the eye. Almost everyone with type 1 diabetes will experience some degree of retinopathy, and 20 to 30 percent will develop the advanced form that can lead to blindness. To lower your risk for vision loss, keep both your blood sugar and your blood pressure under control. See an eye doctor at least once a year, and report any changes in your vision that occur in between regular visits.

4. Preventing Teeth and Gum Issues

Young adults with diabetes have twice the risk for gum (periodontal) disease as their peers who don't have the condition do. For people with diabetes who are over age 45, who smoke, and have poor diabetes control, the risk is nearly five times greater than that of their peers is. This comes from the ability to fight infections. Having diabetes and gum disease can create a vicious cycle, gum disease can make controlling your blood sugar more difficult, and diabetes makes you more prone to gum disease. To help prevent gum disease, visit your dentist regularly for checkups and take good daily care of your teeth by brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash.

5. Preventing Heart Disease and Stroke

Your heart health can be at greater risk if you have type 1 diabetes. If you're overweight, smoke, and don't control your blood sugar well, you could be two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than someone without type 1 diabetes is. Excess sugar in your blood can damage blood vessel walls. Controlling your blood sugar can reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke from damaged blood vessels by more than 50 percent. Losing weight, not smoking, and keeping your blood pressure in check can all help, too.

6. Preventing Kidney Disease

Between 20 and 40 percent of people with type 1 diabetes develop kidney disease. Controlling your blood sugar and your blood pressure can help keep your kidneys healthy. Have a simple urine test once a year to look for albumin, a protein found in blood that's excreted in small amounts in the urine. A study in the journal Diabetes Care in November 2013 found that urinary albumin levels could be used to identify young people with type 1 diabetes at risk for kidney and heart disease. If you're at increased risk, your doctor may recommend medications to reduce your blood pressure and improve your kidney health.

7. Preventing Nerve Damage

More than 60 percent of people with type 1 diabetes develop some nerve damage (neuropathy). Peripheral neuropathy can cause tingling, numbness, and pain in your hands, arms, legs, and feet. Autonomic neuropathy affects nerves that control bodily functions, such as breathing, circulation, and digestion. Damage to these nerves can cause a variety of symptoms depending on the bodily function affected. The longer you have type 1 diabetes, the greater your risk for damage to your nervous system. The best way to prevent damage to any of your nerves is by controlling your blood sugar, keeping levels as close to normal as you can.