Type 1 Diabetes- A Childs Experience
Living with type 1 diabetes- a brave five year old learns to cope with needles A type 1 diabetes diagnosis means many day to day changes and a lifetime of careful eating, doctor visits, insulin injections and monitoring blood sugar levels . These challenges are hard at any age, but in early childhood when kids want to eat what their friends eat and are still scared of needles, its particularly hard. Tristan, a brave 5 year old boy, is one of 130,000 Australians living with Type 1 Diabetes.We spoke to his mum Suzie about how Tristan and his family have lived with type 1 diabetes for more than three years. Developing diabetes-friendly family routines Daily routines have changed since Tristan was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes , just before his second birthday. It means we always have to be prepared and make sure our daily routine includes time for things like healthy eating, exercising, blood sugar monitoring and insulin injections, Suzie said. When Tristans blood sugar is low, he needs to eat sugar to correct it. Often we can do that by giving him jelly beans or something else sugary to eat. But sometimes he is too tired even to eat and we need to give him a glucose injection. Since he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, we carry a glucose injection everywhere we go. There are lots of supplies Tristan needs on a daily basis. We always carry around his diabetes management kit and his water bottle. Glucose injections, blood sugar test strips and containers to dispose of used needles and syringes are part of the furniture in our house these days. Tristan needs regular insulin to keep his blood glucose levels down, which means daily injections, and careful administration of the needles. We have to make sure that the syringe doesnt go too deep or we would be injecting in the Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes: How Is It Treated?
KidsHealth / For Teens / Type 1 Diabetes: How Is It Treated? en espaolDiabetes tipo 1: Cul es el tratamiento? Your teachers follow a lesson plan that outlines what you'll study each day. Your parents may have a plan to help you pay for college. And your weekend social plans determine whether you're seeing a movie, heading to a concert, or playing basketball at the gym. People with type 1 diabetes need to follow a different type of plan. A treatment plan, also called a diabetes management plan, helps people to manage their diabetes and stay healthy and active. Everyone's plan is different, based on a person's health needs and the suggestions of the diabetes health care team. The first thing to understand when it comes to treating diabetes is your blood glucose level, which is the amount of glucose in the blood. Glucose isa sugar that comes from the foods we eat and also is formed and stored inside the body. It's the main source of energy for the cells of the body, and is carried to each cell through the blood. Glucose gets into the cells with the help of the hormone insulin . So how do blood glucose levels relate to type 1 diabetes? People with type 1 diabetes can no longer produce insulin. This means that glucose stays in the bloodstream and doesn't get into the cells, causing blood glucose levels to go too high. High blood sugar levels can make people with type 1 diabetes feel sick, so their treatment plan involves keeping their blood sugar levels within a healthy range, while making sure they grow and develop normally. To do that, people with type 1 diabetes need to: eat a healthy, balanced diet and stick to a diabetes meal plan check their blood sugar levels several times a day Following the treatment plan can help a person stay healthy, but it's not a cure for diab Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes Constantly Affects Daily Life
Although more than one million Americans have type 1 diabetes, most people don't understand the toll it can take on daily living. "It would be easier to tell you how diabetes doesn't affect my life," said Meri Schuhmacher-Jackson, a mother of four sons -- three with type 1 diabetes. "Type 1 diabetes affects every aspect of our lives. It looks invisible from the outside. But, it's anything but invisible for us. There's a hamster running on a wheel in your brain all the time," she explained. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the body's insulin-producing cells. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use the sugar in foods as fuel for the body and brain. Because the body can no longer make enough insulin, people with type 1 diabetes have to replace that lost insulin. This can be accomplished with insulin injections -- about four to six shots a day -- or from a tiny tube inserted under the skin that's attached to an insulin pump. The tubing has to be changed and reinserted in a new place under the skin approximately every three days. People with type 1 diabetes have to make a number of potentially life-challenging decisions about their care throughout the day. They need to check their blood sugar levels by lancing their fingers to draw a small drop of blood at least four times a day, and often more, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). And, unfortunately, insulin dosing is not a precise science. "Eating, exercising, stress, illness and more can all impact blood sugar levels," said Mark Heyman, director of the Center for Diabetes and Mental Health in Solana Beach, Calif. Heyman has type 1 diabetes. All of those factors make getting the right amount of insulin a difficult balanc Continue reading >>
A Healthy Daily Routine For Diabetes
Living with diabetes is a challenge that more people in the United States are facing every day. Over 8 percent of Americans now have diabetes — that’s about 26 million people in all, although about 7 million aren’t even aware that they have it. Beyond managing the condition itself, it’s crucial to get diabetes under control because of the risk for serious complications — from kidney failure and nerve damage to heart disease and stroke. On the positive side, you can manage diabetes by following just a few simple healthy-living strategies: Monitoring your blood sugar, taking any prescribed medications, eating a smart diabetes diet, and exercising regularly — every day. Monitoring Your Blood Sugar To effectively manage diabetes, it’s crucial to monitor your blood sugar. “It’s like a light in a dark tunnel: You need to see where you’re going,” says Betul Hatipoglu, MD, an endocrinologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “If you take insulin, it’s important to check your blood sugar before each injection to be safe, or once a day if you don’t take insulin.” If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and use insulin, it’s also important to check your blood sugar before exercising or bedtime, and before driving a car to make sure you don’t have low blood sugar. If you're on medication and checking your blood sugar once a day, it might be best to vary what time you check it, sampling at different times of the day, such as before meals or two hours after meals, Dr. Hatipoglu advises. Research has shown that when you monitor your blood sugar closely, it improves your ability to manage diabetes. In a study of almost 300 people published in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, people with diabetes who regularly monitored their blood suga Continue reading >>
Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes: What’s The Difference?
If your child or someone you know has been recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you may be wondering how the disease differs from type 2 diabetes — the form people tend to know more about. What causes type 1 versus type 2 diabetes? Are the symptoms the same? And how is each treated? Here to clear up the confusion with an overview of key differences — and similarities — between these two types of diabetes are experts Julie Settles, M.S.N., A.C.N.P.-B.C., C.E.N., a clinical research scientist at Lilly Diabetes, and Rosemary Briars, N.D., P.N.P.-B.C., C.D.E., C.C.D.C., clinical director and program co-director of the Chicago Children’s Diabetes Center at La Rabida Children’s Hospital. Causes Diabetes, or diabetes mellitus, as it’s formally known in medical terms, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which a person develops high blood glucose (blood sugar). The underlying health factors causing the high blood sugar will determine whether someone is diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which “the body’s immune system starts to make antibodies that are targeted directly at the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas (islet cells),” explains Briars. Over time, the immune system “gradually destroys the islet cells, so insulin is no longer made and the person has to take insulin every day, from then on,” she says. As for why this happens, Settles notes, “The immune system normally fights off viruses and bacteria that we do not want in our body, but when it causes diabetes, it is because something has gone wrong and now the body attacks its own cells.” Triggering this autoimmune response is a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors that researchers are still trying to fully understand. O Continue reading >>
Pricks And Needles: What Living With Type 1 Diabetes Is Like
Type 1 diabetes, a rarer form of the chronic disease, affects three million Americans. Here's one of them. Back in early 2001, I was a happy, but slightly overweight, 13-year-old boy. Just before the summer I decided to start eating less junk food in hopes of shedding a couple of pounds from my 135-pound frame. I got results quickly -- and my weight kept dropping. Looking back, the signs that something was amiss were obvious. I couldn't make it through 50-minute class periods in middle school without having to run off and pee. It felt like my thirst could never be satiated. I was always tired. But the weight loss was the most obvious sign. Weight kept coming off. 125 pounds, 120, 115. My parents called my pediatrician, but diabetes never came up as a potential cause. An unusual teenage growth spurt prior to puberty was a possibility. An eating disorder was also suggested. By the time I arrived for my annual physical on Nov. 6, 2001, none of my clothes fit and I weighed just 98 pounds -- nearly 30 percent less than my peak weight. More phone calls and doctors' appointments revealed nothing. Back at home after the appointment, I hopped in the shower but was almost immediately interrupted by my mom. The doctor's office called with results from my blood test and I had to get to the emergency room. When I checked into the hospital, my blood sugar was 971. The normal range is 80-150. The doctors said I would have fallen into a diabetic coma within another week. Back then, diabetes seemed like a death sentence. My whole life routine would have to change. I would have to check my blood glucose at least five times a day and stick myself with needles at least four times a day. But for the past ten years, I've been living with an illness that could shorten my life expectancy by 15 Continue reading >>
A Day In The Life Of A Type-1 Diabetic
blood glucose , blood glucose levels , blood sugar , Diabetes , Diabetes mellitus type 1 , type 1 diabetes Its already been established that Diabetes is a disease that we, who have it, cannot run away from. We have to deal with it and we have to maintain control non-stop. There is no taking a break from it. I am 24 and have been diabetic since I was 11. I have been alive with diabetes longer than without, and yet, in my head, the normal life is the one I had before. I am currently treating my diabetes with insulin pump therapy (the pump is a little machine that never leaves me it constantly injects tiny little doses, known as basal, as well as some extra insulin when needed, for meals for example, known as bolus). I use a blood glucose monitor called FreeStyle Libre, which tests my blood via a sensor on my upper arm. With this machine, I do not need to prick my fingers to draw blood (although I still often do, as the sensor readings are often less accurate than the finger-pricking ones, unfortunately), and I can check the trend of the last eight hours, which is very helpful to understand where I am going and prevent a high or a low. My diabetes and I have a love/hate relationship. I love it because it taught me how to be strong, independent and proud. But I hate it because as much as it gave me strength, it gave me weakness too. As much independence it gave, it brought me on my knees countless times, forcing me to seek support from my family. And no matter how proud I am of who I am today, it sometimes happens that I let my diabetes catch-up with me and I feel raw, deep shame. Shame for my own lack of control, or judgement, leading to a hypo or a hyper. Shame for my scars. Shame for my sensors adorning my body constantly. But despite this hate, I try to live my life wi Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes
Print Diagnosis Diagnostic tests include: Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test. This blood test indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. It measures the percentage of blood sugar attached to the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells (hemoglobin). The higher your blood sugar levels, the more hemoglobin you'll have with sugar attached. An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates diabetes. If the A1C test isn't available, or if you have certain conditions that can make the A1C test inaccurate — such as pregnancy or an uncommon form of hemoglobin (hemoglobin variant) — your doctor may use these tests: Random blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken at a random time and may be confirmed by repeat testing. Blood sugar values are expressed in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Regardless of when you last ate, a random blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher suggests diabetes, especially when coupled with any of the signs and symptoms of diabetes, such as frequent urination and extreme thirst. Fasting blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken after an overnight fast. A fasting blood sugar level less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) is normal. A fasting blood sugar level from 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) is considered prediabetes. If it's 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher on two separate tests, you have diabetes. If you're diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor may also run blood tests to check for autoantibodies that are common in type 1 diabetes. These tests help your doctor distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes when the diagnosis is uncertain. The presence of ketones — byproducts from the breakdown of fat — in your urine also suggests type 1 diab Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes
Whether you have type 1 diabetes, are a caregiver or loved one of a person with type 1 diabetes, or just want to learn more, the following page provides an overview of type 1 diabetes. New to type 1 diabetes? Check out "Starting Point: Type 1 Diabetes Basics," which answers some of the basic questions about type 1 diabetes: what is type 1 diabetes, what are its symptoms, how is it treated, and many more! Want to learn a bit more? See our “Helpful Links” page below, which provides links to diaTribe articles focused on type 1 diabetes. These pages provide helpful tips for living with type 1 diabetes, our patient-perspective column by Adam Brown, drug and device overviews, information about diabetes complications, and some extra pages we hope you’ll find useful! Starting Point: Type 1 Diabetes Basics What is the risk of developing type 1 diabetes if it runs in my family? What is Type 1 Diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is disease in which the body can no longer produce insulin. Insulin is normally needed to convert sugar (also called glucose) and other food sources into energy for the body’s cells. It is believed that in people with type 1 diabetes, the body’s own immune system attacks and kills the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Without insulin, the body cannot control blood sugar, and people can suffer from dangerously high blood sugar levels (called hyperglycemia). To control their blood glucose levels, people with type 1 diabetes take insulin injections. Before the discovery of insulin, type 1 diabetes was a death sentence (and it still is for patients with poor access to insulin). Can Type 1 Diabetes Be Prevented? Unfortunately, the genetic and environmental triggers for the immune attack that causes type 1 diabetes are not well understood, althoug Continue reading >>
One Day In The Life Of Type 1 Diabetes
DAY 4161 Living with Diabetes As I sit up in bed, my head spins. It’s 7 a.m. I’m shaking, sweating and scared. It’s only then I realize that I missed dinner last night. I know that my blood sugar is dangerously low. I also know that apart from my 13-year-old sister, I’m home alone. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a muesli bar sticking out of my handbag. I try to get out of bed and reach for it, in an attempt to bring my blood-sugar up. That’s the last thing I can remember. My name is Shelby. I’m your average 21-year-old, aside from the fact that I have had Type 1 diabetes since I was 9. One morning in January of 2014, my blood sugar dropped so low that I had a seizure and knocked myself unconscious after hitting the back of my head on my bed frame. It was the first time that an ambulance had ever been called for me. Apart from this instance, I have had several serious hypoglycemic episodes — I’ve had a seizure whilst on camp visiting a crocodile farm, I’ve smashed drinking glasses in my hands in an attempt to fix my blood sugar and I’ve buttered my hands whilst trying to make myself a sandwich. If you haven’t already guessed it, I’m extremely stubborn and independent. I don’t like asking for help; however, it’s because of my diabetes that I have had to learn how to ask for such. Diabetes is debilitating. Diabetes is devastating. Diabetes is draining. We’re allowed to have good days and bad days; just like everyone else. We just need to be prepared. Even on our bad days, we are still diabetics. We still have to stop and test our blood sugars and give insulin. We have highs (fun fact: we don’t understand how odd it sounds to others when we’re in public and say, “I think I’m high”) and then we also have lows (literally). Our blood Continue reading >>
A Day In The Life Of Type 1 Diabetes
Unless you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, it’s hard to imagine the daily vigilance that is required to manage the disease. In the first installment of a new New York Times video series, you can get a glimpse of a day with Type 1 through the experiences of teenager Dominique Corozzo. The 16-year-old has been adjusting to living with Type 1 diabetes and discusses the challenges of her diagnosis and how she copes every day with the disease. For more information about research trials involving Type 1 diabetes, go to the National Institutes of Health TrialNet website. For more information about the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, featured in the video, go to www.nbdiabetes.org. Continue reading >>
Everyday Life With Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes may change your life, but with a few simple tools, you'll learn how to easily manage your condition. Everyday life with diabetes may involve testing your blood glucose levels and monitoring the highs and lows of your diabetes, but you can do this. You can manage your diabetes. Our Daily Living Center will show you how to manage your diabetes in your everyday life, including managing diabetes when you travel, at work, at school, and on vacation, as well as the emotional sides of the condition. With diabetes, daily routines—such as working, eating, and exercising—take special preparation. Learning how to plan for these everyday tasks can help lower your blood glucose levels and drastically reduce your risk of diabetes complications. This article covers everyday life with type 1 diabetes, and everyday life with type 2 diabetes. Everyday Life with Type 1 Diabetes A day in the life of someone with type 1 diabetes involves working toward blood glucose level goals. You can do this by balancing what you eat with the amount of insulin you take. However, exercise is something you can do to boost your overall health and well-being. Check out our Exercise Center, which shows you how to get started, as well as various exercise options. To help you stay on track with your blood glucose level goals, you should work with your diabetes treatment team, which typically involves a doctor, endocrinologist, registered dietitian, and certified diabetes educator. Your treatment team can help you deal with some of the challenges you may encounter with diabetes, such as how to deal with special events and holidays, or how to manage your diabetes on vacation. Everyday Life with Type 2 Diabetes Managing everyday life with type 2 diabetes is somewhat different Continue reading >>
A Day-to-day Guide For Managing Type 1 Diabetes
Intro It’s normal to feel overwhelmed about managing type 1 diabetes, especially when life gets busy. After all, dealing with diabetes isn’t always convenient. While each day is different, adding some simple strategies into your daily routine can help you to stay on track and live well with type 1 diabetes. Morning Rise, shine, and check your blood sugar Check your blood sugar as soon as possible after you wake up. This will give you an idea of what your blood sugar was like overnight. You can correct it right away with food or insulin if you find that it’s too high or too low. You may also consider recording your blood sugar levels and other important information in a diabetes journal. This can help you can keep of track of how well your diabetes is controlled from day to day. Start your day with a healthy breakfast Eating well is an important part of managing type 1 diabetes. Start your day off right with a nutritious breakfast that follows your healthy eating plan. A healthy plan for type 1 diabetes typically includes foods from each food group, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. Since you’re taking insulin, you should also include a moderate amount of healthy carbohydrates at each meal. This will prevent your blood sugar from dropping too low. Make sure to keep track of your carbs and match your intake with your insulin dosage, if needed. You can record this information in your diabetes journal. Some quick and easy breakfast ideas for people with type 1 diabetes include scrambled eggs, oatmeal with low-fat milk, or a fruit and yogurt parfait. Don’t forget to test your blood sugar before and after each meal, including breakfast. Take your medications Remember to take your insulin and any other medications. For busy Continue reading >>
Living With
If you have type 1 diabetes, it's important to look after your own health and wellbeing, with support from those involved in your care. Your diabetes care team As type 1 diabetes is a long-term condition, you'll be in regular contact with your diabetes care team. Your GP or diabetes care team will also need to check your eyes, feet and nerves regularly because they can also be affected by diabetes. You should also be tested regularly – at least once a year – to check how well your diabetes is being controlled over the long term. A blood sample will be taken from your arm, and the HbA1c test will be carried out. It measures how much glucose is in the red blood cells, and gives your blood glucose levels for the previous two to three months. For help managing your diabetes on a day-to-day basis, check out the mumoActive app in our Digital Apps Library. Lifestyle changes Healthy eating Eating a healthy, balanced diet is very important if you have diabetes. However, you don't need to avoid certain food groups altogether. You can have a varied diet and enjoy a wide range of foods as long as you eat regularly and make healthy choices. You can make adaptations when cooking meals, such as reducing the amount of fat, salt and sugar you eat, and increasing the amount of fibre. You don't need to completely exclude sugary and high-fat foods from your diet, but they should be limited. The important thing in managing diabetes through your diet is to eat regularly and include starchy carbohydrates, such as pasta, as well as plenty of fruit and vegetables. If your diet is well balanced, you should be able to achieve a good level of health and maintain a healthy weight. Read more about healthy recipes. Diabetes UK has more dietary advice and cooking tips. Regular exercise As physical Continue reading >>
Managing Type 1
In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin which is vital for converting glucose into energy. People with type 1 diabetes need to do the job of the pancreas and replace the insulin via insulin injections or an insulin pump. The insulin acts to reduce the level of glucose in the blood. Type 1 diabetes is a life threatening condition which needs to be closely managed with daily care. Type 1 diabetes is managed with: Insulin replacement through lifelong insulin injections (up to 6 every day) or use of an insulin pump Monitoring of blood glucose levels regularly (up to 6 times every day or as directed by a doctor or Credentialled Diabetes Educator) Following a healthy diet and eating plan Taking regular exercise The aim diabetes management is to keep blood glucose levels as close to the target range as possible, between 4 to 6 mmol/L (fasting). However, the ranges will vary depending on the individual and an individual’s circumstances. Talk to your doctor or Credentialled Diabetes Educator for the range of blood glucose levels that are right and safe for you. Keeping your blood glucose level at the optimum range is a careful balance between what food is eaten, physical activity and medication. Blood glucose levels which are too high, could result in hyperglycaemia or ketoacidosis. Blood glucose levels which are too low, could result in hypoglycaemia. It is important to learn about each reaction and respond appropriately. Ketoacidosis is an emergency and you must call emergency services immediately. Monitor blood glucose levels throughout the day and even at night. Keeping your blood glucose levels on target will help prevent both short-term and long-term complications. Your Credentialled Diabetes Educator will help you learn how to check your blood glu Continue reading >>
