Whether you are suffering from diabetes or not there is a good chance that you have heard about insulin, blood glucose, carb counting, and finger pricking. Unfortunately, for a diabetic they are exposed to these terms on a daily basis. While many individuals don’t have any understanding of these terms, they can play a major role in diabetes. In fact, these very things could cause the disease to go from a mild annoyance to a deadly situation. This is why it is imperative that you understand everything you possibly can about diabetes, how to manage it, and the medications that are involved with the disease.
What Is Type I Diabetes?
Type I diabetes, sometimes referred to as juvenile diabetes, onset typically begins in childhood. Symptoms have also been known to appear in adolescence and early adulthood. Even though Type II diabetes has some similarities with Type I, the onset is typically later in life. Another difference between the two is people with Type I diabetes cannot produce insulin. The characteristic of both types of diabetes is high blood glucose levels.
Children, teens and young adults who are diagnosed with Type I diabetes are required to take insulin for the rest of their life. This is the only way they can manage their blood glucose levels. People who are diagnosed with Type II diabetes are typically prescribed oral anti-diabetic medications. And, if these do not work affectively to maintain optimal blood glucose levels, the prescribing physician will either increase the dose or switch to insulin.
Teaching Your Children About Their Disease
If your child is old enough to understand about their condition, you will need to help them cope with it. Many young children will feel segregated from their classmates and other young children, because they are forced to check their blood glucose levels routinely and take insulin injections. It is up to you as a parent to help your child deal with these emotions. In the beginning, your life will feel like a scary roller coaster ride. But, over time you and your child will come to terms with this condition.
Type I Diabetes Symptoms
As mentioned above, both types of diabetes have some similarities, including symptoms. These include frequent urination, feeling of being very hungry, severe fatigue, blurred vision, abrasions that do not heal properly and increased thirst. Other symptoms of Type I diabetes are unexplained weight loss and dry, itchy skin. Both types of diabetes also share the symptom of tingling or numbness in the feet.
More rare symptoms shared by both types of diabetes include changes in mood and irritability. If you begin to experience any of these symptoms, you should seek medical attention. Your physician will recommend testing to determine if you have diabetes Type I.
How Is Type I Diabetes Diagnosed?
Type I diabetes, like type 2 diabetes, is diagnosed through a blood test known as A1C or hemoglobin A1C. This test can be performed in your physician’s office, but it will need to be done before you consume a meal. Your physician will recommend not eating prior to arriving to his/her office. The lab technician will draw your blood and send it to a laboratory for testing.
The A1C test measures blood glucose levels over a period of eight or 12 weeks. This is a very convenient test that provides accurate results, as long as the patient complies with his or her physician’s recommendations.
Type 1 Diabetes Stats
It is impossible to be alive today and not to know something about diabetes. In fact, there is a pretty good chance that you know someone who has this illness. Type 2 diabetes is actually more common, but there are still plenty of people that suffer from type 1 diabetes. Regardless, there are still a lot of people who don’t know enough about this condition. What actually causes type 1 diabetes and how is it treated? Is it possible to cure this type of diabetes?
Again, type 1 diabetes is far less common. It is estimated that 90 to 95 percent of diabetes patients actually have type 2. In 2014, it was reported that more than 29 million Americans had diabetes.
There is a good chance that the number is far higher today. Of all diabetes patients, only 5 to 10 percent suffer from type 1 diabetes. Type 2 is caused by a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. Type 1 patients primarily get the disease early on in life or have it at birth.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to prevent this disease and there is no cure. It is possible to prevent type 2 diabetes, but not type 1.
Who Does It Effect?
You should also understand that type 1 diabetes can impact anyone. It is often referred to as juvenile diabetes. This is the case because it is contracted at birth or early in life. Then, it will impact the patient for the rest of his or her life. However, it is possible for patients to be diagnosed at pretty much any age. The onset is usually very quick. Therefore, it is always important to manage this condition using insulin. Insulin injections or an insulin pump is a suitable option.
In the future, it is believed that artificial pancreas systems will be able to help patients avoid needing to use insulin.
There Is No Cure
It is entirely possible to live a good life, despite having diabetes. In fact, you can probably live just as long as people without this condition. However, it will need to be managed properly. While it is possible to manage the disease using insulin, it is important to understand that insulin is not a cure. It also does not prevent the chance that patients could experience serious effects of diabetes. A good diet and insulin can help prevent problems and improve your overall quality of life.
What You Need To Know About Insulin
Insulin is a hormone that is naturally produced by the body and it allows sugar to reach the critical parts of the cells, so that it can be utilized for energy. Insulin is considered one of the most powerful hormones in the body, so when there is some kind of irregularity, you can imagine how much this will throw off the body. Some individuals develop diabetes because their bodies can’t produce enough insulin, whereas some individuals develop diabetes because their cells can’t absorb it right. Whatever the situation is, insulin shots are usually the number one go-to solution for diabetics. So, what do you really need to know about insulin?
Well, first you need to know that insulin shots usually do not hurt, as most injections are given through small, thin needles. Type II diabetes is the most common type of diabetes where the patients will require the extra boost of insulin. This will allow them to adequately control their blood glucose levels.
You also need to be aware of the fact that there is a right and wrong way to inject insulin. First, you need to make sure that you are always washing your hands and wiping the top of the insulin vial with alcohol. This will kill off any germs and bacterium that could have built up. When mixing always make sure that you are following the mixing directions right down to the very last detail, as a single air bubble could cause the most intense consequences.
Since insulin is required to be stored in the refrigerator it will probably be cool when you pull it out. Unfortunately, injecting cold insulin can be a bit painful and this is why it is best to let it reach room temperature before injecting it. Pull the vials out hours before the required injections, let it reach room temperature, and inject in.
Monitoring Your Blood Glucose Levels
As a diabetic you will be constantly monitoring your blood glucose levels, which will be critical to your overall health. The most important thing that you need to know is that all monitoring devices are not created equally. This is why you should always take the time to do the proper research and check with your doctor before investing in a monitor, as you want the best one that money can buy.
Accuracy and proper readings are without a doubt one of the most important aspects of any meter. You want your meter to be able to read your blood sugar levels right down to the very increment. Most individuals will check their meter with a control solution beforehand to make sure that it is accurate and calibrated properly.
Doctors that deal with diabetic patients usually issue them monitoring devices for free or you can even buy these items at rebate from a variety of manufactures. It really is the test strips that are going to be the priciest and you want to make sure you check with your insurance provider to see how much compensation you can get.
Symptoms
It can be difficult to diagnose type 1 diabetes on your own. However, there are some things that you can look for. Still, you should definitely take your child to a doctor if you notice a handful of these symptoms within a short period of one another. Below, you will learn more about the symptoms of type 1 diabetes.
- More Frequent Urination and Increased Thirst –The abnormal level of sugar in your child’s body will actually remove fluid from the tissues. As a result, this can make your child thirstier than eve before. In return, this can also increase their urination frequency.
- Weight Loss – Most type 1 diabetes patients will begin losing weight even if they’re eating the normal amount. This can happy pretty rapidly some times. Without the right amount of sugar, the muscle and fat will begin to shrink. One of the most first signs that can pinpoint diabetes is unexplained weight loss.
- Lethargy – It is also a good idea to keep an eye on your child’s activity levels. If they’re becoming lazy and lethargic, there is a possibility that your child is suffering from diabetes.
- Increased Hunger – Children with this type of diabetes will also experience intense hunger. Your child doesn’t have a sufficient amount of insulin to push sugar into their cells and muscles. This will also cause the organs to crave energy. In return, this will make your child incredibly hungry.
- Fruity Breath – You should take a second to smell your child’s breath. Do you notice that it smells like fruits? This is another sign that your child may be suffering from diabetes.
- Yeast Infections – It should also be known that diabetes may cause yeast infections. Young girls may develop genital yeast infections. Babies may experience diaper rashes, which have been caused by yeast.
Risk Factors
There are plenty of things that can increase someone’s risk of developing diabetes. One of the most notable is family history. If you have several diabetics in your family, you’ll have a slightly higher risk of becoming a victim yourself. It is believed that genetics may have an impact. Race is another risk factor. In America, type 1 diabetes tends to be much more common among white children. There are also several environmental risk factors. They include certain viruses that may destroy islet cells.
Diet is usually not linked to type 1 diabetes. However, consuming cow’s milk early in life may increase your child’s risks. It is also believed that breast-feeding may actually decrease the risks. With type 2 diabetes, it is entirely possible to avoid the illness by staying slim and eating the right foods. With type 1 diabetes, this simply is not possible.
Serious Complications
Type 1 diabetes is capable of causing serious complications. If you do not treat and manage this problem correctly, you’re going to run into dangerous problems. Type 1 can eventually lead to heart and blood vessel disease, nerve damage and kidney damage. It can also cause osteoporosis, eye damage and certain skin conditions. Those looking for the right insulin medications should definitely check out
CanadianInsulin.com.
What To Discuss With Your Doctor
When visiting your doctor, you should discuss your child’s condition with them. Make sure that you ask about glucose monitoring. When does it need to be done and how often? You should also ask your doctor about the benefits of nutrition and exercise. Chat about insulin therapy and administration, hypo and hyperglycemia, and ketones. Make sure that you have enough information to keep your child’s condition under control. If you do not, the risks are going to be incredibly high.
Conclusion
When it comes down to it, diabetes is a dangerous problem. However, you must understand that it doesn’t have to be. It is possible to live a very long life despite having diabetes. Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, you can still be happy and healthy. Just speak with your doctor and learn how to manage your condition. Eat healthy, exercise and use your insulin as recommended by your doctor. If your child has this disease, you need to give them instruction from very early on. Doing so will ensure that their life is enjoyable for as long as humanly possible.
This is a guest blog entry.
