Successful type 1 diabetes self management

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. When the body can no longer regulate blood sugar levels, daily injections of insulin are required to sustain life. While the cause of type 1 diabetes is not known, it is generally believed that environment and genetics play a key role.

Type 1 diabetes, a disease that affects over a million people in the U.S. alone, can create severe medical complications like heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and circulation problems leading to amputation of limbs. Therefore, it's mandatory that those with the disease develop a good diabetes self management program.

Type 1 diabetes symptoms may include: excessive thirst, frequent urination, high blood sugar levels in the urine and blood, extreme hunger, weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, nausea and irritability.

For those with type 1 diabetes seeking help with their diabetes self management plan, educational programs have been developed to aid patients in this endeavor. Dietitians and certified diabetes educators who are experts in diabetes management, staff the best of these programs. Topics like blood sugar control, tracking carbohydrate intake, exercise and diet recommendations and insulin self-injection are covered. These healthcare professionals put together a regimen of diabetes self management that is suited to their particular requirements. When these plans are followed closely, patients tend to have fewer complications and they feel better too. Patients are typically sent to them by way of physician referral.

Patients who follow a certain routine in their lives tend to adapt to a type 1 diabetes self management plan better than those who do not. Those with hectic and constantly changing routines have a more difficult adjustment.

Learning to inject oneself with insulin daily is a key part of diabetes self management. However, another option exists. This involves the use of an insulin pump. This pump, about the size of a mobile phone and worn around the waist, automatically injects insulin into the body twenty four hours a day in small quantities as required. This process is more like the natural working of a healthy pancreas. The pump is easily removed for exercise or bathing and the dose is easy to adjust when needed. This comes in handy if you miss a meal or overeat.

Pregnant women with diabetes should become knowledgeable of diabetes self management. Babies born to mothers with diabetes are not born with the disease. However, if the mother's diabetes was not controlled during pregnancy, the baby can very quickly develop low blood sugar after birth and must be watched very closely until his or her body adjusts the amount of insulin it makes.

Your health is one of your most important assets and those with diabetes need to be extra vigilant about it. A good type 1 diabetes self management plan is critical for those with the disease. In the years to come we will undoubtedly see more progress made in the treatment of type 1 as well as other forms of the disease. Doing everything possible now to avoid complications will only enhance the benefits of the future.

Article Source: http://www.articlemonk.com

Daily diabetes self management is critical for those with diabetes and John Richmond who writes for YourDiabetesInfo.com has done extensive research on the subject. Please visit this site for more information.

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