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.
Although healthcare professionals thought that they practiced up-to-the-minute diabetes managing, the expertise was nonexistent. There were no major differences in managing diabetes between 1947 and 1977. Managing the disease involved monitoring glucose through urine and 1 or 2 doses of insulin. Today there are glucose monitors folks use at home or on the go, a number of options for insulin injection, and various types of insulin.
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.
Nutrition therapy has also been affected by changes. There are many discussions about the type of food that should or should not be consumed. However, the actual concern seems to be whether insulin should be made to match the food or foods should match the insulin. For years patients were prescribed a diet, met with the dietitian, and given food exchange lists or lists with carbohydrate values. The insulin dosage was set and the foods prescribed.
With Diabetes Type I, the patient measures glucose and based on the level, adjusts the insulin dose. This takes place before the meal. Today, insulin dosage is matched to the food that is eaten. However, this does not give permission for people to consume anything they want. Contrary to traditional dosing, this method gives insulin following a meal.
This type of insulin requires the patient to spend time evaluating their meal content, amount, and type. The person will then make a judgment and determine the amount of insulin they need to administer. Not every individual, or family member, is capable to of performing this type of analysis. Not all patients have the skill to calculate the right dose of insulin.
Historically, patients have taken insulin before a meal. Now, folks often choose the foods for each meal, then add up the foods they ate and account for their glucose level prior to eating, and finally, calculate the dose of insulin that is needed. Matching the insulin dose to foods consumed is a big shift in managing diabetes.
Although healthcare professionals thought that they practiced up-to-the-minute diabetes managing, the expertise was nonexistent. There were no major differences in managing diabetes between 1947 and 1977. Managing the disease involved monitoring glucose through urine and 1 or 2 doses of insulin. Today there are glucose monitors folks use at home or on the go, a number of options for insulin injection, and various types of insulin.
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.
Nutrition therapy has also been affected by changes. There are many discussions about the type of food that should or should not be consumed. However, the actual concern seems to be whether insulin should be made to match the food or foods should match the insulin. For years patients were prescribed a diet, met with the dietitian, and given food exchange lists or lists with carbohydrate values. The insulin dosage was set and the foods prescribed.
With Diabetes Type I, the patient measures glucose and based on the level, adjusts the insulin dose. This takes place before the meal. Today, insulin dosage is matched to the food that is eaten. However, this does not give permission for people to consume anything they want. Contrary to traditional dosing, this method gives insulin following a meal.
This type of insulin requires the patient to spend time evaluating their meal content, amount, and type. The person will then make a judgment and determine the amount of insulin they need to administer. Not every individual, or family member, is capable to of performing this type of analysis. Not all patients have the skill to calculate the right dose of insulin.
Historically, patients have taken insulin before a meal. Now, folks often choose the foods for each meal, then add up the foods they ate and account for their glucose level prior to eating, and finally, calculate the dose of insulin that is needed. Matching the insulin dose to foods consumed is a big shift in managing diabetes.
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