Insulin | Devices | Accessories | Daily duties | Diet | Sugar level and mood | Sex | Alcohol | Emergencies
Not only people with diabetes themselves need to know about their condition. Often, relatives need a lot of explanation, but rather a specific checklist. Consider what you need to know for those with a guy / girlfriend with type 1 diabetes.
Has your frank conversation finally taken place? Congratulations, if your partner told you about his diabetes, then either … a) you met a very confident person or … b) your (I) boyfriend / girlfriend trusts you very much and everything is going well with you.
Perhaps you are now embarrassed and disoriented. You understand that you need to know a lot of things, but you don’t know where to go and what to read. It’s quite normal.
If you are still uncomfortable directly discussing with your soul mate all the exciting issues, here is a short guideline on the most important points.
1. Insulin
A hormone that is usually produced in the body to move glucose from food into cells. In type 1 diabetes, this hormone is not produced by the pancreas, since the immune system itself attacks insulin-producing cells. Scientists have not yet identified the reason for this.
To compensate for the lack of natural production of insulin, people with diabetes inject it with syringe pens or wear insulin pumps that deliver the hormone with constant micro-doses.
Without diabetes, the pancreas does everything for us, and with diabetes you think for it: you count carbohydrates in food, select the required amount of insulin and how to administer it. In practice, this, of course, is more complicated, but for a general understanding at the beginning it is enough.
2. Devices
In addition to the insulin pump, diabetics use glucose monitoring. Your partner may have a device attached to the skin (often on the arm). This is not an anti-nicotine patch, not a pager or a decoration. This monitor helps your partner stay healthy.
A device on the skin is part of a system that constantly measures blood sugar levels (in continuous mode or, like flash monitoring).
3. Optional accessories
There is a joke in the diabetic community about the “diabetic bag.” Your partner probably also carries an impressive wallet or purse with some important things. You also need to know what these things are, as well as in what situations your partner may need them.
A glucometer is a device that measures the level of sugar in the blood. Test strips and lancets — supplies for the meter. Lancet (a small device with a needle) pierce the skin to take a drop of blood for analysis. Blood is usually taken from the finger. The lancet can be automatic or inserted into a special pen. A test strip is inserted into the meter and blood is applied to it. A few seconds after this, the meter shows the concentration of glucose in the blood.
In case the glucose concentration is less than normal, diabetics carry with them something that contains fast carbohydrates: sugar sachets, small packets of juice, sweets or special tubes with pure glucose.
Still diabetics carry stocks of different supplies, depending on which method of insulin administration is used.
4. Daily duties. Don’t panic!
Every day, people with diabetes several times (ideally 6-7, and with monitoring a little less) measure blood sugar. They also inject insulin on their own.
5. What do people with type 1 diabetes eat?
The best answer is everything like everyone else. The only difference is that diabetics are forced to approach food consciously. By the way, all people in the world should consciously approach food. It’s just that without diabetes, unhealthy eating haunts in the long run, and with diabetes here and now.
Remember: diabetics eat the same thing, only before they send a cookie to their mouths, they make a conscious decision about this. A rash meal can cause a sudden sugar spike.
* peak — this is the time when the level of glucose in the blood rises sharply and quickly, in response to certain circumstances. These factors can be different things, and not just food: stress, hormone release, or the inflammatory process, for example, when you have ARVI.
6. Sugar level, well-being and mood
The mood of any person is very much connected with the state of the body. For example, studies show that after eating foods with a lot of sugar, people tend to react more aggressively to irritants. Note (!), This study was conducted with people without diabetes.
The mood of a person with diabetes, of course, also greatly depends on the physical condition. A drop in glycemia (also called blood sugar / glucose level) can give a changeable mood, apathy or irritability. Sometimes your boyfriend / girlfriend can be very angry with you or be stubborn, and sometimes you just need to give him / her a pack of juice.
Be mindful of the symptoms of high and low sugar:
- Low sugar (hypoglycemia) — trembling, pale and sweaty skin, headache, excessive hunger, weakness.
- High sugar (hyperglycemia) — nausea, frequent / deep / jerky breathing, illegible or incoherent answers to questions, reddened skin and fever, drowsiness.
If you notice such manifestations, the first thing you can do is ask if your help is needed. People with diabetes are well aware of what needs to be done in such situations. They either do it themselves or ask you to do something (for example, give juice to raise blood sugar)
7. Sex
Do not pay attention to the sensor or pump. And do not be afraid that your boyfriend or girlfriend is made of glass.
Sex affects diabetes like sports. Sugar level may decrease; therefore, it will be necessary to monitor it. You may need to eat before or after. By the way, romance with good sweets as a gift is even very helpful here.
And about the analogy with sports. Physical activity improves diabetes compensation and in moderation is very beneficial.
8. Alcohol
People with diabetes can drink alcohol. Is he harmful to them? And who is it useful for?
Alcohol, especially strong alcohol, increases the risk of low sugar. This means that for a person with diabetes they need to be combined with food and more often check blood glucose levels.
9. Emergencies
Emergencies can be and they need to be prepared in advance.
If your partner suddenly faints / is unconscious, urgently call an ambulance, and also do what usually happens when your partner with diabetes has lowered sugar or severe hypoglycemia.
If a person with diabetes is unconscious, glucagon must be administered. Discuss this issue in advance with your partner: he will show what it is and explain how to work with it. Take it and call and ask right now!
If a person with diabetes is conscious, urgently let him take fast carbohydrates.