Type 1 Diabetes
Just The Facts About Type 1 Diabetes
In type 1 diabetes, the body does not make insulin. Insulin is needed for the body to use sugar (glucose) from food for energy. You probably have many questions. It will be helpful to learn about healthy living with diabetes. Here you will find lots of helpful information and tools to help you manage your diabetes and achieve your simple wins.

You will learn about high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and ketoacidosis. You will also learn about testing your blood sugar level, meal planning, the benefits of exercise and more.

Hyperglycemia(high blood glucose)* means that the amount of sugar in your bloodstream is higher than it should be. The symptoms of hyperglycemia include:
* blurry vision
* headache
* increased thirst
* increased urination
* irritability
* tiredness
* unexplained weight loss over a period of time.

When you have diabetes, eating a larger meal than usual, missing a dose of medication or insulin, being sick, inactive, or being stressed can cause your blood sugar to be high. It is important to know if your blood sugar is high and to take action to bring it back into a healthy range.

If you have high blood sugar, it is helpful to understand the cause. You may want to think about your management plan and what might be happening to cause this increase in blood sugar. Bayer’s GLUCOFACTS® diabetes management software is a helpful tool for tracking your progress. By logging your tests online you can easily see if and when your blood sugar levels are fluctuating.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)* describes a blood sugar less than about 70 mg/dl (3.9 mmol/L), but some people feel symptoms when blood sugar is a little higher than that.

The symptoms of hypoglycemia include feeling shaky, sweaty, weak, dizzy, irritable, extremely hungry, and having a headache.

Low blood sugar can occur if there is too much insulin in your system, if you have not eaten enough or skipped a meal, or if you have done too much activity without enough carbohydrate to meet the demand of the activity.

If you become hypoglycemic, it is suggested you do the following things:

• If possible, test your blood sugar level to verify it.
• Take some type of fast-acting sugar, like 3 glucose tablets (you can buy these at
• the drug store), a ½ cup of fruit juice, 3-4 pieces of hard candy, a small box of
• raisins or ½ cup of regular soda (not diet).
• If you are not feeling better in 10-15 minutes, it is best to re-test and have more sugar if needed.

*Source: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, American Diabetes Association, 2008

Ketoacidosis is a serious condition that may happen in people with Type 1 diabetes.

Ketoacidosis happens when there is too little insulin in the bloodstream to help the sugar get into cells and the body looks for other kinds of fuel to burn. When the body burns stored fat, ketones begin to build up in the body. Ketones get removed from your bloodstream through the urine.

The first warning signs of ketoacidosis are:

• Thirst or a very dry mouth.Frequent urination.
• High blood sugar levels.
• Ketones in your urine.

Then other symptoms also appear:

• Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain.
• Constantly feeling tired.
• Dry or flushed skin.
• A hard time breathing.
• Fruity odor to your breath.
• A hard time paying attention; being confused.

Your healthcare team will tell you when you should test for ketones. It is also a good idea to test at the following times:

• Before breakfast. This is called the fasting blood sugar.
• Your blood sugar is 250 mg/dL (13.9 mmol/L) or higher for two tests in a row.
• You are sick (even with a cold), because being sick can cause you to have ketones.
• You are vomiting or have diarrhea. &bul;You are under stress or are upset.
• You are pregnant.

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