How to Treat Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes affects 5 to 10 percent of all diabetics and, while rarer, is much more serious than type 2. The difference between these types lies in how the body produces and uses the hormone insulin. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to sustain the conversion of glucose into cellular energy. Since diabetes is often accompanied with serious complications, such as kidney disease and neuropathy, it's important to know how to treat type 1 diabetes.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Support group
• Treatment plan

1. Organize a management team to help treat your diabetes. The first person to turn to will be your primary health care practitioner, who will perform diagnostic tests to determine your best treatment plan.
2. Ask your physician to refer you to a diabetes specialist, such as an endocrinologist. An endocrinologist specializes in the treatment of metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, as well as impaired functioning of glands and organs responsible for hormone production.
3. Make an appointment for a consultation with a nutritionist or dietitian to develop a dietary plan as part of your diabetes management program. Learning how and when to eat or avoid certain foods is essential to managing your blood glucose levels on a daily (if not hourly) basis.
4. Plan to visit an ophthalmologist on a regular basis. Annual eye exams are very important for the type 1 diabetes patient since the disease is the leading cause of blindness in adults.
5. Make annual examinations with a podiatrist part of your diabetes treatment plan. It is critical to keep your feet healthy when you have type 1 diabetes because nerve damage commonly associated with this disease often inhibits healing of injuries. In fact, a sore or ulcer that remains neglected can lead to serious complications, such as infection and even amputation.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't go it alone. Join a support group where your peers can help you deal with your type 1 diabetes. Your physician or local health department may be able to direct you to a support group. Or, check the online database of Diabetes Education Programs and Peer Support Groups provided by the Defeat Diabetes Foundation website (see Resources below).
• Encourage family members to participate in your treatment program and even in your support group. It's vital that they too understand the nature and management of your disease.

Who Can Help: