Diabetic education

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Diabetic blood circulation in foot

Endocrine glands

Food and insulin release

Monitor blood glucose - series

Diabetes education is a crucial part of a treatment plan. Diabetes education focuses on ways to incorporate disease management principles into the individual's daily life and minimize dependence on the health care provider.

Diabetes educators have identified three levels of diabetes education: 1) basic disease management including basic "survival skills," 2) home management, and 3) improvement of lifestyle.

Basic disease management includes knowledge and skills that a person newly diagnosed with diabetes must master prior to leaving the hospital or health care provider's office. These skills include:

• learning how to recognize and treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• learning how to recognize and treat high blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
• learning how to select appropriate foods and when to eat them (see DIABETIC DIET)
• learning how to administer insulin or how to take oral hypoglycemic agents
• learning how to test and record blood glucose (see blood glucose monitoring) and urine ketones (see home urine ketone monitoring)
• learning where to buy diabetic supplies and how to store them

Home management skills will help the diabetic to better control their disease and may prevent development of complications. Home management skills will include:

• learning how to adjust insulin and/or food intake during exercise (see EXERCISE AND WEIGHT CONTROL FOR DIABETICS)
• learning how to handle sick days (see SICK DAYS)
• diabetic foot care
• learning to watch for long-term complications of diabetes and managing commonly associated conditions (such as high blood pressure)

After the person with diabetes learns the basic principles of diabetes care and a routine has been established (several months), he or she may be interested in learning more about the disease. Education into ways to improve the lifestyle of people with diabetes may be helpful. Topics may include:

• how to handle eating out
• alcohol use and diabetes
• how to modify insulin levels based on blood glucose levels
• how to adjust insulin and diet for variations in meal times, and changes in routine.