By Thomas Reed


There have been many changes with diabetes technologies over the last four decades. Management has had some noteworthy changes in insulin administration, measuring glucose, and types of insulin. Changes with diabetic supplies have improved the lives of numerous people significantly. For example, in the 1970s people monitored their glucose by urine using tablets that changed the color, and monitoring tapes. The dipstick was just newly 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.

Checking glucose levels, calculating snacks and meals, and administering insulin, makes this disease require the individuals attention numerous times each day. Diabetics need to pay attention to identify feelings that may point to hypoglycemia. There are not many conditions that require such a high level of attention. This is something that has not changed for diabetes management.

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.

With this method, the patient must evaluate the content of the meal, type of food, and amount. Once the analysis is complete, the individual makes a judgment and determines the amount of the insulin the will need after they eat. This is a more complicated method that many patients may not have the capability to perform. This method involves the calculation of the correct insulin dosage.

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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