How to Manage Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes is NOT preventable, but it IS manageable.
When managing diabetes, one must understand the blood glucose level. Glucose is a form of sugar that comes from food and is formed and stored in the body and is the main source of energy for the cells. Glucose gets to the cells with the help of insulin. However, people with Type 1 Diabetes do not produce insulin meaning that the glucose does not get in the cells, causing blood glucose to go too high. Consequences of untreated Type 1 Diabetes include heart and blood vessel disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, foot damage, and eye damage (Mayo Clinic, 2017). Fortunately, those who follow a treatment plan live a healthy and active life.
Visit Your Doctor RegularlyYour child's medical team will help come up with a treatment plan to make sure that your child lives a normal, healthy life. Your child's diabetes team will teach you how to give your child insulin shots, create a written diabetes meal plan, help you plan your child's exercises along with their meals and insulin, and see if your child's plan is working. (TeensHealth, 2018).
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Check Your Child's Glucose LevelsIt's important to check your child's blood glucose level to know what it is at the moment. To check, you can use a continuous glucose monitor or a blood glucose meter. Testing your blood sugar level is the only way to know how you are doing with your diabetes control.
How to check with a meter: 1. After washing your hands, insert a test strip into the meter. 2. Use your lancing device on the side of your child's fingertip to get a drop of blood. 3. Touch and hold the edge of the test strip to the drop of blood, and wait for the result. 4. Your blood glucose level will appear on the meter's display. (American Diabetes Association, 2018) |
Eat a Healthy, Balanced DietIt's important that you and your child pay attention to their meals and snacks and eat a healthy, balanced diet. It's also important that the food that your child eats balanced out with their insulin intake and activity level.
The three main types of nutrients found in foods are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, which all provide energy in the form of calories. Foods containing carbohydrate cause blood sugar levels to go up the most. Foods that contain mostly protein and/or fat don't affect blood sugar levels as much. Our bodies need all of these nutrients — in different amounts — to function normally. (TeensHealth, 2018) |