- What is diabetes?
- What are some of the symptoms of diabetes?
- What are the different types of diabetes?
- What are the known risk factors for diabetes?
- What treatments are available for diabetes?
- What can cause type 1 diabetes?
- What can cause type 2 diabetes?
- Can diabetes be prevented?
- Is there a cure for diabetes?
This is just a small sample of the questions you will find the
answers to, right here on the pages of, Diabetes and You.
Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, and Gestational Diabetes, these are
the three most common types of Diabetes. Each one has different
causes, treatments and risks. For those affected by this disease,
information is critical to being able to maintain their health, and
lifestyle.
For the person who has just been diagnosed with Diabetes, being able
to get the answers they need can help calm their fears, and help their psychological
well-being.
Unfortunately diabetes has the potential to cause very serious health
complications which can include: heart disease, blindness and vision
problems, kidney failure, and amputations.
Ultimately the patient with diabetes will be responsible for the
daily monitoring of their disease, based upon their own research along
with their health care provider.
various emotions. You might feel afraid, angry, confused, frustrated, fearful,
and depressed. Many questions will run through your mind. What will I tell
them? What will I tell the school, family, baby-sitters, and friends? Will
my child be able to live a normal life of playing with friends, staying overnight
at a friend’s house, or be able to take part in sports?
Suddenly you are faced with testing blood sugar levels, injections, changing
the way you and your child eat, and how do you cope? These and other questions
are common among parents with newly diagnosed childhood disease. A parent should
connect with other parents who have gone through the same feelings when their
child was diagnosed. Support groups that put you in touch with other parents
coping with the disease and help you to find some of the answers to your questions.
It will help to know you are not alone. By sharing experiences, you will find
your anxiety and fear fade away.
An organization or support group will allow you to encourage, trade recipes,
experiences, and helpful tips for dealing with diabetes in a child. If you
are unable to find a support group in your area, there are many forums and
websites available to you on the Internet.
Diabetes requires good health care by the family and the doctor in charge
of the disease. If you learn all you can about the disease, it will help when
you visit the doctor to ask direct questions, and understand what the doctor
is telling you. Your child’s health team and the family must work together
for the best results.
Tell your child’s school so they will be aware of any special cares,
needs, or any potential issues that may arise while your child is at school.
It’s important so they may keep a watchful eye on lunches served, and
lunches traded, or even school activities where snacks are brought in.
It will take a while for the family to deal with the shock of a diagnosis
of diabetes. It will be an emotional time, and will be the time your family
needs to bond together to work for the best interest of the child.
Sugar substitutes, special recipes, sugar-free candy all are helpful in allowing
children with diabetes to live a more normal life. Eating healthy well-balanced
meals in the right amounts will help keep your child’s blood glucose
levels where they should be. Exercise is important for your child, and by making
exercise a fun family time, it will make it seem more like play than working
on their diabetes.
Manufactured insulin works differently for each person. Your doctor may need
to experiment to find the best manufactured insulin to use, or a combination
of insulin that will best match what their bodies produce. You will probably
be required to give insulin injections, understand the purpose of insulin,
the different delivery systems available.
A good diabetes dictionary will help you learn the terms and medical talk
that goes with a diagnosis of diabetes. This dictionary will prove to be valuable
in learning diabetes related terms and what they mean.
There are many useful sites on the Internet for parents, children, and teens
to help cope with diabetes. You and your child or teen may connect with others
who have gone through similar experiences, fears, and other issues. Teenagers
will be able to talk to other teens about their experiences of dating, school,
driving, and other teen related problems.
