For the non-diabetic person, sugar control is as simple as breathing.
However,
To the diabetic person, it’s a whole different ball game, because; remember that the one organ that should be balancing everything out for you is on a permanent holiday. Most likely, it is an autoimmune disorder. It is a poor health condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissues.
What is Type-1 Diabetes?
It is another trigger that causes the body to attack the cells in the pancreas that make insulin erroneously.
Ambiguous?
It’s an inability of the body to use insulin that causes diabetes correctly.
Therefore,
In most cases, Type-1 Diabetics have to have insulin injections to regulate and standardize their sugar levels. That’s why diabetes-1 is also called insulin-dependent diabetes.
The key to good health is to keep the blood sugar level within the specified range. Medically, doctors say that one should have a diabetes sugar range of 4 to 8. It is indicative of a well-balanced lifestyle.
It’s a sad reality that despite active research type-1 diabetes is still incurable. The treatment for the illness is focused on maintaining blood sugar levels with insulin, diet, and lifestyle to prevent difficulties.
Meaning – that there’s an equal balance of your medication, to the type of foods you consume to the activities you do.
Remember diabetes management doesn’t only depend on the insulin shots you take before meals or before bed.
Causes
The possible cause of type-1 diabetes includes:
- Genetics
- Exposure to environmental factors normally harmful bacteria and viruses.
How To Deal With Diabetes-1
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Reading about the disease on the internet or in books and experiencing it in person are two different things. Today, I will tell my journey being a diabetic and will share what I think could benefit people to fight with it.
I have exposed to 2 different insulin types; a long-acting and short-acting shot.
If you are unknown to these terms let me explain to you a little; Long-acting insulin takes the longest time to start working. It can take up to 4hours to get into your bloodstream. Whereas, the short-acting insulin works in just 15-minutes after you take it.
However, the long-acting shot also stabilizes the blood sugar over long periods of time. With this, I am sure you can already see the need for constant monitoring and checking.
It means that there needs to be another medium that keep up with the ever-changing sugar levels. The truth of the matter is, constant checking is required to help stabilize one’s sugars.
How Often You Need To Check Your Sugar Level?
Good diabetes governance says we should be checking our sugars at least six times on a good day.
1. When you wake up, to see what your fasting sugars are, this gives you a reasonable estimate of whether or not your long acting is effective or nah?
2. A test before your meal, this then becomes indicative of what sliding scale to apply. You could have a constant unit that you should take before all meals, but should your sugars be slightly higher or lower, you may need to adjust your short-acting insulin accordingly.
This shot could also be influenced on whether you’re about to cheat on your diet or not.
3. 2 hours post meals, when you should be testing again to see how effective your pre-meal shot was.
4. Before lunch another pre-meal test
5. 2 hours again after lunch
6. Before dinner, again here you might need to adjust your sugars accordingly, in accordance to what you’re about to eat, or what you have been busy with.
7. Again, before dozing off, you may want to check if you’re ok or if you should have a snack before bed.
Even with this constant testing, you may find yourself with a random low. This was me this past week.
Had a good balanced supper the night before, went to bed with a 6.0 sugar reading, and woke up the next morning and bam I am at a low. I think my biggest fear in this instance is, what do I do if this happens and I am alone?
There Are Many Effects That Come With ill-Managed Sugars
Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to short and long-term problems.
The short-term issues include hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis.
Although, But the long-term effects of poorly controlled sugars may lead to damages to essential organs (the misfortunate thing about organs is that you cannot see them).
The organs that can be affected are the heart, kidneys, eyes, and general nerves. It means that heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, vision problems, and nerve problems can happen to people with diabetes.
These problems don`t usually occur in kids or teens that have had the disease for some years. However, it can happen to adults with diabetes.
Kids and teens with diabetes that don`t control their blood sugar levels can be late going into puberty.
How To Maintain Your Sugar Level?
- The good to remember is that keeping blood sugar levels under control can help keep you healthy and anticipate health problems from happening later.
- On the other hand, different elements can also affect your sugars. So generally you need to be aware of how you are feeling, what you are doing and what changes are taking place in your life.
- Good blood sugar control is a challenge, yes, but this is not to say it’s unachievable.
- Although, you can help keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range with these steps:
- Take insulin or pills when you`re supposed to.
- Follow your meal plan.
Perform exercises daily.
- Check your blood sugar levels periodically and make changes with the help of your health care team.
- Visit your doctor and health care team regularly.
- Learn as much as possible about diabetes.
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