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.
Because of the nature of the disease, it necessitates attention several times during the day. The patient must calculate meals and snacks, administer insulin, and check glucose. In addition, the need to pay close attention to how they feel to identify hypoglycemia. This condition requires a higher level of attention than most. Unfortunately, over the years, this fact has not changed.
The medical professional who does not live with this disease will never know the intensity of this burden. In spite of all the changes that have improved the way in which folks monitor glucose and take their insulin, the burden of caring for and managing diabetes is not something that has changed. Advances in technology have made things easier however it is still vital that the patient be diligent in caring for their diabetes.
Nutritional therapy has been affected by the changes as well. Today, the patient will be counseled on what types of food they should or should not be eating. The new concern is if insulin should match the foods consumed or if the food should match the insulin dosage. For decades, folks were given a diet to follow, a food exchange list, lists of carbohydrate values, and met regularly with a dietitian. The insulin dose was determined by the foods included in the diet.
With diabetes Type I, people measure their glucose and then adjust the insulin dose according to the the level. This practice takes place before eating. Today folks have the option to match the insulin to the food after they have eaten. This is not a pass for the person to eat anything they want, however. This method gives insulin after meals.
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.
In past decades, folks would take their insulin and then eat their meal. Today they choose their foods and after the meal they add up the foods eaten, accounting for glucose level before the meal, and calculate the insulin dosage needed. Matching insulin to food consumed is a shift in diabetes management.
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.
Because of the nature of the disease, it necessitates attention several times during the day. The patient must calculate meals and snacks, administer insulin, and check glucose. In addition, the need to pay close attention to how they feel to identify hypoglycemia. This condition requires a higher level of attention than most. Unfortunately, over the years, this fact has not changed.
The medical professional who does not live with this disease will never know the intensity of this burden. In spite of all the changes that have improved the way in which folks monitor glucose and take their insulin, the burden of caring for and managing diabetes is not something that has changed. Advances in technology have made things easier however it is still vital that the patient be diligent in caring for their diabetes.
Nutritional therapy has been affected by the changes as well. Today, the patient will be counseled on what types of food they should or should not be eating. The new concern is if insulin should match the foods consumed or if the food should match the insulin dosage. For decades, folks were given a diet to follow, a food exchange list, lists of carbohydrate values, and met regularly with a dietitian. The insulin dose was determined by the foods included in the diet.
With diabetes Type I, people measure their glucose and then adjust the insulin dose according to the the level. This practice takes place before eating. Today folks have the option to match the insulin to the food after they have eaten. This is not a pass for the person to eat anything they want, however. This method gives insulin after meals.
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.
In past decades, folks would take their insulin and then eat their meal. Today they choose their foods and after the meal they add up the foods eaten, accounting for glucose level before the meal, and calculate the insulin dosage needed. Matching insulin to food consumed is a shift in diabetes management.
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