USF-COM
Department
of Family Medicine
Patient Education Information on...
Index of
Patient Education Topics
What is diabetes?
Normally the food you eat is turned into glucose (a sugar) in your stomach
and then it goes into your bloodstream. Insulin helps glucose travel
from the blood into the body’s cells. Insulin and glucose are teammates
that work together so that your body can make energy from food. When
your body does not make enough insulin or when the insulin is not working,
you have diabetes.
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Will my body feel different if I have diabetes?
When your body does not have enough insulin, glucose cannot enter the cells.
The glucose builds up in your blood, causing your blood glucose levels
to rise. Too much glucose in your blood can cause changes in your
body:
-
increased thirst
-
feeling very tired
-
increased passing of urine
-
sudden weight loss
-
increased hunger
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What causes a person to be diabetic?
There are two types of diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2). When children
and young people get diabetes it is called Type 1. In Type 1 diabetes,
the body does not make insulin. Our immune system (the body’s soldiers)
are supposed to kill cells that cause sickness, but sometimes they attack
the cells that make insulin. No one is sure why this happens
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How do you know that you have diabetes?
Your doctor takes a sample of your blood and the amount of glucose in your
blood is measured. If it is too high then you have diabetes.
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How do you treat diabetes?
You treat diabetes with the three M’s (Meals, Movement, and Medication).
It is important to eat healthy. Exercise is also good because it
uses the sugar in your blood, gets rid of fat and makes you stronger.
With Type 1 diabetes, a person has to take insulin shots everyday in order
to live. Each person is different and the amount you take depends
on your body.
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Is there anything bad about treatment?
Too little food, too much insulin or too much exercise can cause the glucose
in your blood to be too low (hypoglycemia). Your body will feel different
and you may have:
-
dizziness
-
hunger
-
shaking
-
headache
-
sweating
Too much food, too little insulin or stress can make your glucose really
high and make you feel sick. When it is really bad it is called diabetic
ketoacidosis. You may:
-
have to urinate often
-
have dry skin
-
throw up or feel sick to your stomach
-
be thirsty
-
be sleepy
-
have blurred vision
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Is my life going to be different?
There are some changes you have to make if you have diabetes. You
have to eat healthy by making sure you eat the right amounts of food from
each of the food groups. This means you are going to have to eat
foods that are low in fat and cholesterol but high in fiber. This
means more vegetables, fruits and whole grain cereals. You also have
to eat foods that are low in sugar. It is important to exercise and
keep a healthy weight. The insulin shots must be taken every day.
You and your family will learn how to give the shots. You must also learn
how to check your blood glucose level daily. Remember it is your
body and you are in charge of keeping it healthy. Fighting diabetes
takes a lot of work, but that does not make you different from the other
kids.
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What can diabetes do to my body?
Diabetes can lead to problems with your eyes, kidneys, feet, heart and
nerves.
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Websites for more information
The
secrets that children want to know about Type 1 Diabetes