Should others know about the person's diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus is not one of the diseases that need to be concealed. The disease is not contagious, with proper treatment does not interfere with a normal way of life and communication with others. The patient is no different from healthy people. Simply, he should not forget about the need to maintain a rational diet and nutrition, about the regularity of taking medications, including injections of insulin.
In addition, the other side of the problem is also important. Knowledge of the disease, the desire of relatives, friends and others to help in solving the resulting problems, a sparing attitude towards the patient's psyche allows him to often more easily become accustomed to the new conditions of life.
There is another very important point. Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which acute conditions can arise that often require immediate help. How often does a diabetic with hypoglycaemia( a sharp decrease in blood sugar) be taken for a mentally ill or drunk with the corresponding relationship.
The course of diabetes in children is sometimes complicated by infectious diseases. At this time, the use of insulin in more than usual. The action of insulin can cause hypoglycemic conditions, but this can be prevented if given in time to give carbohydrates in the form of sweet solutions( sugar syrup, sweet compotes, kissel, fruit juices, sweet tea, etc.).When you restore your appetite, you can switch to regular meals.
But apart from rational insulin treatment and full nutrition, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that children with diabetes need to engage in physical training, correctly combine physical and mental development, observe the regime of the day, spend a lot of time on the air. A child or adolescent, a diabetic, should be under the constant supervision of adults, in order to notice the sudden onset of a sudden gipogemicemic condition.
Parents should know the peculiarities of treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus, they should be able to introduce insulin, know the table of replacement of products and be able to use it. Also, they should be able to produce equivalent substitutions of carbohydrates in time, depending on the taste of the child. Sometimes delayed sexual development in children with diabetes requires, in addition to basic treatment, the use of sex hormones. Everyday practice confirms that with proper and timely treatment, with the observance of the norms of dietary nutrition, children learn well, normally develop physically.
The parents should be the first to monitor the child's health. Especially it is worth to be alarmed if he constantly wants to drink and often goes to the toilet, drinks a lot of liquids( 3-4 liters) and can even wake up in the middle of the night because of intense thirst. The metabolism is disturbed: the child normally eats, but feels constant weakness, fatigue. Symptom of a beginning illness is pustular skin lesions. Blood becomes "sweet", and bacteria in the nutrient medium begin to multiply actively. These signals are the reason for immediate contact with a doctor. Be sure to tell the pediatrician about all changes in the behavior and condition of the child. The first tests the doctor should perform are a blood glucose test( fasting blood glucose measurement and two hours after eating), glycated hemoglobin( average blood glucose level for two to three months), fructosamine( total glucose fortwo-three weeks), as well as ultrasound of the pancreas. After the results of the tests are ready, the pediatrician will send the child to a consultation with the endocrinologist, and he will prescribe the treatment and give recommendations on nutrition.