What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition in which your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. What are the target ranges for blood sugar? Most physicians will tell you that the normal blood sugar range is between 70-110mg/dl. According to the American Diabetes Association (n.d. a) before meals children who are diabetic, their blood sugar range should be between 70-154mg/dl. One to two hours after a meal, your blood sugar should be less than 180mg/dl (American Diabetes Association, n.d. a).
Type 1 diabetes:
There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but most commonly it is diagnosed from infancy to the late 30s (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, n.d.). With type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little to no insulin and the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, n.d). Children, who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, must inject themselves with insulin on a daily basis (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, n.d.).
Type 2 diabetes:
Type 2 diabetes usually develops after the age of 40, however it has recently began to appear more frequently in children (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, n.d.). With type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is still producing insulin but not enough to use it effectively. Children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes manage the disease through a combination of treatments including diet control, exercise, oral medications, and in some cases insulin (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, n.d.).
Checking your blood sugar:
Checking your blood sugar is important when you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Check your blood sugar as frequently as your doctor asks you to. How many times you check your blood sugar will vary depending on if you are type 1 or type 2 diabetic, what medications you are taking for your diabetes, and how high or how low your blood sugar has been. Once you have a machine to check your blood sugar, each specific blood sugar machine has the manufacture requirements and instructions on how to use the machine. Please use your blood sugar machine based on the manufactures guidelines.
Sign and symptoms of a high blood sugar:
With type 2 diabetes you may not feel sick at first. However some of the signs of a high blood sugar are known as the 3 “P’s” which are Polyuria (frequent urination), Polydipsia (frequent thirst) and Polyphagia (excessive hunger) (Ramachandran, 2014).
Signs and symptoms of a low blood sugar:
A low blood sugar is often displayed by shakiness, sweating, chills, confusion, fast heart rate, lightheadedness or dizziness, blurred vision, headache, weakness, and unconsciousness (American Diabetes Association, n.d. b). If you are experiencing any of these symptoms please check your blood sugar and eat a snack (fruit juice or low fat milk).
Video:
Here is a brief You tube video on the difference between type1 and type 2 diabetes.
Links for children with Diabetes:
Here is a link from the American Diabetes Association for diabetes camps
http://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/diabetes-camp/camps/utm_source=Offline&utm_medium=Print&utm_content=find-camp&utm_campaign=CAMP
Also the National Diabetes Education Program has a Facebook page. It has a lot of useful information regarding diabetes. You can follow the Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/ndepgov
Recommendations:
Please be sure to take your diabetic medications as prescribed by your doctor to help control your diabetes.
References
American Diabetes Association (n.d.
a). Checking your blood glucose.
Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/checking-your-blood-glucose.html
American Diabetes Association (n.d.,
b). Hypoglycemia. Retrieved from
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hypoglycemia-low-blood.html
American Diabetes
Association [American Diabetes Association]. (2010, April, 10). Diabetes
basics: Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcuUcHU21Ik
Ramachandran, A.
(2014). Know the signs and symptoms of diabetes. Indian Journal of Medical
Research, 140(50), 579-581.
Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.p.atsu.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=f4fba8cb-211e-4fdc-b918-c9345fe070f0%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4105
