Type 1 diabetes

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Endocrine glands	Insulin pump	Insulin pump	Insulin test
Monitor blood glucose - series	Type I diabetes

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Regular exercise helps control the amount of sugar in the blood and helps burn excess calories and fat to achieve optimal weight.

Ask your health care provider before starting any exercise program. Those with Type 1 diabetes must take special precautions before, during, and after intense physical activity or exercise.

SELF-TESTING

Blood glucose monitoring is done by checking the glucose content of a small drop of blood. The testing is done on a regular basis and will inform the person with diabetes how well diet, medication, and exercise are working together to control diabetes.

The results can be used to adjust meals, activity, or medications to keep blood sugar levels within an appropriate range. It will provide valuable information for the health care provider to suggest changes to improve care and treatment. Testing will identify high and low blood sugar levels before serious problems develop.

FOOT CARE

Diabetes causes damage to the blood vessels and nerves, which can result in a decreased ability to feel injury to or pressure on the foot. A foot injury could go unnoticed until severe infection develops.

Additionally, diabetes affects the body's immune system, decreasing the body's ability to fight infection. Small infections can rapidly progress to death of the skin and other tissues. Amputation may be needed.

See: Daily foot care routine

TREATING LOW BLOOD SUGAR

Low blood sugar, known as hypoglycemia, can occur from too much insulin, too much exercise, or too little food. Hypoglycemia can develop quickly in people with diabetes. Symptoms typically appear when the blood sugar level falls below 70. Watch for weakness, shaking, sweating, headache, nervousness, and hunger.

If these symptoms occur and you have a blood sugar test kit available, do a blood sugar check. If the level is low, the person with diabetes should eat something with sugar: fruit juice, several teaspoons of sugar, a cup of skim milk, or regular soda. If you don't have a test kit handy, sugar should be eaten anyway - it can't hurt. Symptoms should go away within 15 minutes. If the symptoms don't go away, more sugar should be eaten and the sugar level tested again.