DIABETES

• MANAGEMENT AND COPING WITH YOUR

DISEASE
DIABETES STATS
• ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION (ADA) IN 2019, 37.3 MILLION AMERICANS, OR
11.3% OF THE POPULATION, HAD DIABETES.
• NEARLY 1.9 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE TYPE 1 DIABETES, INCLUDING ABOUT 244,000 CHILDREN AND
ADOLESCENTS (ADA, 2022)
• MAJOR COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES IN AMERICA ARE HEART DISEASE, STROKE, AND NEPHROPATHY
• DATA FROM THE NATIONAL HEART ASSOCIATION (NHA) FROM 2012 SHOWS 65% OF PEOPLE WITH 
DIABETES WILL DIE FROM SOME SORT OF HEART DISEASE OR STROKE. 
• DIABETES IS ALSO THE LEADING CAUSE OF KIDNEY FAILURE IN AMERICA, WITH 44% OF ALL KIDNEY
DISEASE RELATED TO DIABETES
• DIABETES IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF LOWER EXTREMITY AMPUTATIONS
WHAT IS DIABETES?

• DIABETES IS A CHRONIC METABOLIC DISEASE THAT REQUIRES LIFELONG BEHAVIORAL

AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES
• TWO MAJOR TYPES OF DIABETES

• TYPE 1 DIABETES INVOLVES BETA-CELL DESTRUCTION LEADING TO ABSOLUTE INSULIN

DEFICIENCY. IT IS AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE AND IS IDIOPATHIC. THIS IS THE LESS
COMMON OF THE TWO MAJOR TYPES.

• TYPE 2 DIABETES RANGES FROM INSULIN RESISTANCE WITH RELATIVE INSULIN

DEFICIENCY TO SECRETORY DEFICIT WITH INSULIN RESISTANCE. THIS IS THE MOST
COMMON OF THE TWO MAJOR TYPES.
 DIABETIC EMERGENCIES

• WHAT TO EXPECT AND HOW TO TREAT DIABETIC EMERGENCIES

 HYPOGLYCEMIA

If you are experiencing any of the pictured symptoms you can check
your blood sugar, drink ½ glass of juice or regular soft drink, 1 glass
of milk, or eat some candy. You should retest your blood sugar
within 30 minutes and then eat a light snack. Call your physician if
symptoms persist or worsen.
 HYPERGLYCEMIA

If you are experiencing any of the pictured symptoms you should test your blood sugar and take
your insulin if needed. Call your physician if symptoms persist or worsen
 MEASURING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR

• CHECK YOUR BLOOD SUGAR REGULARLY WHEN: Check your blood sugar at different times
• TAKING MEDICATIONS AND BEFORE ADMINISTERING throughout the day:
INSULIN
•
Upon waking, before breakfast
•
Before meals
• PREGNANT •
2 hours after the start of a meal
• BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS ARE HARD TO CONTROL •
When you feel blood sugar is too high or too low
• BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS ARE LOW
• BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS ARE HIGH AND YOUR URINE
CONTAINS KETONES
• CHANGING EATING HABITS
WHAT SHOULD YOUR BLOOD SUGAR
RESULTS BE?

Before meals
•
70-130 mg/dL

After meals
•
Less than 180mg/dL

Fasting blood sugar

•
Less than 90-110 mg/dL

2 hours after meals

•
Less than 140-180mg/dL
•

•
(ADA, 2022)
 CHOOSING A GLUCOMETER
•DOES YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER PREFER A CERTAIN
GLUCOMETER?
•ARE SUPPLIES EASY TO ACCESS? IS MAIL ORDER AVAILABLE?
LOCAL PHARMACY?
•WHAT IS THE COST OF THE GLUCOMETER, BATTERIES, AND TEST
STRIP? WHICH GLUCOMETERS ARE COVERED BY YOUR
INSURANCE POLICY?
•COMPACT DESIGN TO ALLOW CONVENIENT ACCESS ON THE GO?
•EASE OF USE? ARE THE NUMBERS LARGE ENOUGH TO READ? IS IT
EASY TO CLEAN?
 TRACKING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR RESULTS
• IT IS IMPORTANT TO WRITE DOWN YOUR BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS AND SHARE
THEM WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER.
• WRITING DOWN YOUR RESULTS HELPS YOU SEE PATTERNS IN YOUR BLOOD
SUGAR RESULTS.
• USE:
• THE LOG BOOK THAT COMES WITH YOUR GLUCOMETER
• A FORM GIVEN TO YOU BY YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER
• A NOTEBOOK
TYPES OF INSULIN
ADMINISTERING INSULIN
• INSULIN CAN BE ADMINISTERED WITH AN INSULIN PEN OR YOU CAN DRAW IT UP
YOURSELF INTO AN INSULIN SYRINGE

Pictured above are the various sites that you can administer your insulin as well as the speed of absorption for the various
sites. You always want to insert your insulin syringe into the injection site at a 90 degree angle and inject into the
subcutaneous tissue. ALWAYS PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE (WASH YOU HANDS) AND CLEAN
YOUR INJECTION SITE WITH ALCOHOL PRIOR TO INJECTION
WHEN MANAGING YOUR
DIABETES……
•STAY ACTIVE
•EAT HEALTHY FOODS
•LOWER EXTREMITY CARE
•STOP SMOKING
•ALCOHOL INTAKE
 DIET
Avoid foods high in fat and sugar. Avoid processed foods

• EATING HEALTHY FOODS WILL HELP TO MANAGE YOUR WEIGHT AND YOU WILL HAVE
FEWER COMPLICATIONS WITH YOUR DIABETES

STAY ACTIVE
• STAYING FIT CAN HELP MANAGE YOUR DIABETES AND IT ALSO HELPS TO PREVENT FURTHER
COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETES
• EXERCISE MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD TOO!

LOWER EXTREMITY
• DIABETES IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF LOWER EXTREMITY
AMPUTATIONS.
 ALCOHOL
• BE MINDFUL OF HOW MANY ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES YOU
CONSUME. DIABETICS SHOULD NOT CONSUME MORE THAN 3
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES PER WEEK.

SMOKING
• DIABETICS WHO SMOKE ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP
OTHER SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS SOONER THAN DIABETICS
WHO DON’T SMOKE.

• IF YOU CURRENTLY SMOKE…STOP!

 COMMUNITY RESOURCES

• HTTP://WWW.DIABETES.ORG/
• HTTPS://DIABETES.ORG/ABOUT-US/STATISTICS/ABOUT-DIABETES
• HTTPS://WWW.WEBMD.COM/DIABETES/HEART-BLOOD-DISEASE
• HTTP://WWW.DIABETESPARTNERSHIP.ORG/
• HTTP://
MY.CLEVELANDCLINIC.ORG/ENDOCRINOLOGY-METABOLISM/DEPARTMENTS-CENTERS/DIAB
ETES-CENTER.ASPX
• HTTP://CLEVELANDYMCA.ORG/COMMUNITY/DIABETES.HTML
References:

American Diabetes Association. (2022). Statistics about diabetes. Statistics About Diabetes | ADA. Retrieved
from https://diabetes.org/about-us/statistics/about-diabetes

Butler, G., & Kirk, J. (2020). Diabetes mellitus. Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, 135–224.
https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780198786337.003.0005

Centers for Medicaid/Medicare (CMS). (n.d.). Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network. CMS.

Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-
MLN/MLNProducts/WebBasedTraining

Continuous glucose monitoring calibrated with point of care devices or glucometers for self monitoring of blood
glucose. (2021). https://doi.org/10.26226/morressier.617c37307c09fc044a9751a2

Godheja, J. (2022). Comparison of different types of insulin available for type 1 diabetes mellitus treatment.
Pharmacological and Molecular Perspectives on Diabetes, 123–133.
https://doi.org/10.2174/9789815040227122010013