Over the past forty some years, there have been a lot of changes in diabetes technology. Management of this disease has seen significant changes in the types of insulin, measuring glucose, and insulin administration. The changes in diabetic supplies have greatly improved the lives of countless people. In the late 70s glucose was monitored with urine using monitoring tapes, tablets that changed color, and dipsticks had barely been introduced.
Even though medical professionals believed they were practicing modern diabetes management, technology was actually nonexistent. Between 1947 and 1977 there were no significant changes in diabetes management. Management consisted of one or two fixed doses of insulin and monitoring urine. Today folks have home glucose monitors, a variety of insulin types, and various injection options. Unfortunately, diabetes requires the patient to maintain a higher level of diligence than any other disease.
The patient must be checking glucose level, injecting insulin, and calculating meals and snacks. This type of monitoring requires the attention of the patient several times during the day. The patient needs to pay close attention so they can identify the feelings that indicate hypoglycemia. There are few medical conditions the will require this heightened level of awareness. This level of need for monitoring will likely never change.
Professionals who do not have the disease do not fully understand the huge burden their patients have. Regardless of the improvements that have changed the way people take insulin and monitor glucose, the day to day burden of managing the disease has not changed. Although the advances have made testing and insulin administering simpler, the individual will still need to be diligent with the attention this condition requires.
There have also been significant changes in nutrition. There is much dialog about the kind of food that the individual should eat. The topic seems to be about matching insulin to the food or matching the food to the insulin. Folks were given a specific diet to follow for years. They saw a dietitian and were handed lists for food exchanges and carbohydrate values. Their insulin was a set dose and they were prescribed a diet.
In the case of type 1 diabetes, folks have to measure glucose and adjust the insulin based of the glucose level. This method is done prior to a meal. Today, there is insulin that matches the foods that are eaten. This does not mean, however, that folks can eat whatever they want. In this type of situation, the insulin is given after a meal.
Administering insulin after eating requires that folks evaluate the meal content, the type of food, and the amount. After assessing the meal, the person will decide the dosage of insulin needed following the meal. Not every person has the ability to perform food analysis. Additionally, not many have the skill to determine the insulin dosage.
In the past, people ate their meal after they took a fixed dose of insulin. Now they have the option to select foods, analyze them, taking glucose level into account, and determine the dose of insulin that is needed following a meal. This method is indicative of a shift in managing diabetes.
Even though medical professionals believed they were practicing modern diabetes management, technology was actually nonexistent. Between 1947 and 1977 there were no significant changes in diabetes management. Management consisted of one or two fixed doses of insulin and monitoring urine. Today folks have home glucose monitors, a variety of insulin types, and various injection options. Unfortunately, diabetes requires the patient to maintain a higher level of diligence than any other disease.
The patient must be checking glucose level, injecting insulin, and calculating meals and snacks. This type of monitoring requires the attention of the patient several times during the day. The patient needs to pay close attention so they can identify the feelings that indicate hypoglycemia. There are few medical conditions the will require this heightened level of awareness. This level of need for monitoring will likely never change.
Professionals who do not have the disease do not fully understand the huge burden their patients have. Regardless of the improvements that have changed the way people take insulin and monitor glucose, the day to day burden of managing the disease has not changed. Although the advances have made testing and insulin administering simpler, the individual will still need to be diligent with the attention this condition requires.
There have also been significant changes in nutrition. There is much dialog about the kind of food that the individual should eat. The topic seems to be about matching insulin to the food or matching the food to the insulin. Folks were given a specific diet to follow for years. They saw a dietitian and were handed lists for food exchanges and carbohydrate values. Their insulin was a set dose and they were prescribed a diet.
In the case of type 1 diabetes, folks have to measure glucose and adjust the insulin based of the glucose level. This method is done prior to a meal. Today, there is insulin that matches the foods that are eaten. This does not mean, however, that folks can eat whatever they want. In this type of situation, the insulin is given after a meal.
Administering insulin after eating requires that folks evaluate the meal content, the type of food, and the amount. After assessing the meal, the person will decide the dosage of insulin needed following the meal. Not every person has the ability to perform food analysis. Additionally, not many have the skill to determine the insulin dosage.
In the past, people ate their meal after they took a fixed dose of insulin. Now they have the option to select foods, analyze them, taking glucose level into account, and determine the dose of insulin that is needed following a meal. This method is indicative of a shift in managing diabetes.
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