Type 1 Diabetes: Living With the Disease-Home Treatment

Type 1 Diabetes: Living With the Disease - Home Treatment

Type 1 diabetes requires daily attention to diet, exercise, and insulin. You may have times when this job feels overwhelming, but taking good care of yourself will help you will feel better, have a better quality of life, and prevent or delay complications from diabetes.

Eat well and count carbohydrate grams

Follow one of these meal-planning methods to help you eat a healthful diet and spread carbohydrate through the day. This will help prevent high blood sugar levels after meals. For more information, see:

Diabetes: Counting Carbs if You Use Insulin.

Diabetes: Using a Plate Format for Eating.

Diabetes: Eating a Low Glycemic Diet.

Focus on the type of carbohydrate as well as the amount. This might help you stay at your target blood sugar level. Foods with a low glycemic index (GI) may help prevent spikes in blood sugar. It is not yet known if these foods help prevent complications. Low glycemic foods do not raise blood sugar as quickly as high glycemic foods. Foods with a low GI include high-fiber whole grains, lentils, and beans. High GI foods include potatoes and white bread.

Using fat replacers-nonfat substances that act like fat in a food-may seem like a good idea, but talk with a registered dietitian before you do. Some people may eat more food, and therefore more calories, if they know a food contains a fat replacer.

Take insulin

Make sure you know how to give yourself insulin.

Diabetes: Giving Yourself an Insulin Shot

If you are using an insulin pump or an insulin pen, make sure you know how to use them properly.

Diabetes: Should I Get an Insulin Pump?

Diabetes: Living With an Insulin Pump

Exercise

Try to do at least 2½ hours a week of moderate activity. One way to do this is to be active 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. Be sure to exercise safely. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after you are active. This is very important when it’s hot out and when you do intense exercise. It may help to keep track of your exercise on an activity log(What is a PDF document?).

Monitor your blood sugar

Checking your blood sugar level is a major part of controlling your blood sugar level and keeping it in a target range you set with your doctor. For more information, see the topic Continuous Glucose Monitoring or see:

Diabetes: Checking Your Blood Sugar.

Handle high and low blood sugar levels

Be sure you:

Recognize and treat high and low blood sugar levels. For more information, see:
Diabetes: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar From Insulin.
Diabetes: Preventing High Blood Sugar Emergencies.
Always wear medical identification to let medical personnel know that you have diabetes.
Take precautions when you are driving and do not drive if your blood sugar is below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

Control your blood pressure and cholesterol

For people who have diabetes, the blood pressure goal is 130/80. But your goal may be different. Your doctor will help you set a blood pressure goal that is based on your health. Moderate exercise, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking most days of the week, can help lower blood pressure. But you may need to take one or more medicines, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) to achieve your goal.
A low-fat diet, exercise, and weight loss can lower your cholesterol. Your body needs insulin to process fats, as it does with carbohydrate. If your diabetes is poorly controlled, the fats in your blood (especially triglycerides) can rise a lot. You should strive for a goal of less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or aim for keeping it at 70 mg/dL, for low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol. HDL, or "good," cholesterol should be more than 40 mg/dL for men and more than 50 mg/dL for women. Triglycerides should be less than 150 mg/dL. You may need to take lipid-lowering medicines, such as statins, to reach your goals.⁵

Limit alcohol

Answer:

Your level is currently NormalHigh (hyperglycemia).Low (hypoglycemia).

If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.

People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.

Your blood sugar level is slightly high. You should call your health care provider and ask if laboratory tests to check for diabetes are needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.

Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.

However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.

Your level is currently normal. However, if you are concerned about diabetes speak with your physician. There may be other risk factors that increase your risk for diabetes.

Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.

Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.

One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.

Your blood sugar level may be high, depending on when you last ate. If you have not eaten for at least 8 hours, your blood sugar should be less than 100. If you've eaten within the last 2 hours, your blood sugar should be less than 140. You should call your health care provider and ask if you need laboratory tests to check for diabetes. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.

Blood sugars consistently above 180 warrant prompt medical attention.

Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.

One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.

Your blood sugar level is high. You should call your health care provider and ask if laboratory tests to check for diabetes are needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.

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