Thinner pillows may give better posture and provide more comfortable sleep to people who sleep on their backs, while people who sleep on their sides may need thicker pillows for more neck support. You can also try a pillow or bolster behind you when you sleep on your side, or a pillow under your feet or between your knees to reduce back strain.

To help yourself sleep, reduce caffeine, limit alcohol and stop smoking. Get in the habit of using your bed only for sleep and sex. Don’t read, eat, talk on the phone or watch television in bed. Get up at the same time every morning, whether you’ve slept or not. Be patient, as it can take at least two weeks to learn new sleep behaviors.

To learn more about the medicines you take, read the information sheets given out with prescriptions by your pharmacist, or talk to your doctor, nurse or diabetes educator about your medicines.

Avoid “natural” calcium supplements that contain calcium from coral, oyster shells, dolomite or bone meal, because these sources are more likely to be contaminated with lead and other dangerous substances.

If you need a calcium supplement to meet your calcium requirements, choose one that contains calcium citrate, calcium lactate or calcium carbonate.

Choose supplements that have the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) seal, showing they meet government guidelines for production and dissolution.

Talk to your doctor before starting any dietary or herbal supplements. He should be able advise you about whether the supplement is safe and effective, and whether it may interact with any other drugs you take.

At your first appointment, tell your doctor about any prescription or over-the-counter drugs you are taking. Bring a list of all of your medicines to your appointment, or bring the drugs themselves (in their original containers).

Filling all of your prescriptions at one pharmacy, if possible, can help your pharmacist catch any potential interactions between drugs you take. And when you refill your prescriptions, note whether your pills (or insulin) look different from those you normally take. If they do, check it out with your pharmacist.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if there are generic equivalents to the drugs you take, and consider using combination tablets that contain more than one drug to reduce your co-pays and the number of pills you take each day.

Symptoms of a urinary tract infection include burning upon urination, the need to urinate frequently or urgently and lower abdominal pain. Urine may look milky or cloudy, or possibly even reddish from blood.

Not necessarily. It is possible to have dangerously elevated blood glucose without ketones, especially in people with Type 2 diabetes who are dehydrated. This is called hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, and its symptoms include excessive thirst, hallucinations, sensory loss, rapid eye movement, paralysis on one side of the body, and seizure. It may be mistaken for a stroke.

Check for ketones if your blood glucose level is over 250 mg/dl twice in a row, or even only once if you intend to exercise soon.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a medical emergency characterized by an extremely high blood glucose level and a toxic level of ketones in the blood. It can cause such symptoms as extreme thirst, frequent urination, vomiting, fever, paleness, elevated heart rate, nausea or abdominal pain, fruity or acidic-smelling breath, shortness of breath and lethargy.

A lack of sexual desire may result from depression or from a common class of antidepressant drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). High blood glucose can also cause sluggishness that results in reduced sexual desire. Additionally, men with diabetes as young as 45 are twice as likely to have a low testosterone level as men without diabetes, often leading to reduced sexual desire. Testosterone deficiency can be treated, as can depression and high blood glucose.

Drugs called ACE inhibitors and ARBs can reduce blood pressure and help prevent kidney damage; ask your doctor about drug options if you believe you may be at high risk for kidney disease.

Depression after a heart attack can impair recovery. Seeking support from a mental-health professional can help both your emotional and physical well-being.

If you experience constipation because of gastroparesis, a form of neuropathy that causes delayed stomach emptying, avoid high-fat and high-fiber foods, and ask your healthcare provider for individualized nutrition recommendations.