Treatment of Diabetes

"Ok, doc says it'll feel like a mosquito bite"

'Kid' Juvenile onset diabetes is caused by a pancreas that is making no insulin. TREATMENT for this type of DIABETES is to replace the missing insulin by daily injection of insulin taken from pigs, cows, or artificial human insulin. Doses vary from once a day to three times a day as different preparations circulate for different times in the body.

Adult onset diabetes is caused by a pancreas that is making too little, or poorly functioning insulin. This is treated by stimulating your pancreas to squirt out more insulin with pills or by supplementing the insulin you do make with injectable insulin. Drugs that stimulate your pancreas into action are called 'oral hypoglycemics'. Early in the course of mild adult diabetes, exercise and a low sugar diet can be enough to bring blood sugar levels back within normal range. Also if pancreas function continues to decline insulin will eventually have to be used.

For all types of diabetes, monitoring your blood sugar level often is ideal. This is done by pricking your finger with a needle and dropping a droplet of blood onto a machine that reads blood sugar levels. This gives you immediate feedback as to whether your blood sugar is where it should be or not and your medication can be adjusted accordingly. Fasting sugar on first waking should be 4-7 mmol/L and two hours after each meal 5-10 mmol/L. If your readings are consistently above these targets your medication will need to increased.

A Typical Diabetes Treatment Program:

• Start Insulin or Blood Sugar Pills.
• Check your blood sugar at home first thing in the morning and two hours after breakfast, lunch, and supper.
• Every three months see your family doctor with home sugar readings to have your medication adjusted.
• Once each year: have your eyes tested by an opthalmologist; have a foot examination for loss of sensation; get a kidney blood and urine function test; get a blood pressure and cholesterol check.
• Stop smoking and restrict alcohol.
  

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