With insulin-dependent diabetes, when insulin injections begin your symptoms may disappear and the disease may go into a stage of remission or temporarily appear inactive. In this phase your pancreas will again secrete insulin. Your need for extra insulin may decrease or disappear. The remission phase frequently lasts as long as two or more years, and during this period it may be hard to believe that you have the disease. Your blood sugar level may remain within a normal range. Without explanation your blood sugar may go up again and again create the need for additional amounts of insulin. During the remission phase a well-balanced diet will be very important. If possible, you should try to maintain your ideal weight. However, the remission phase may end or may not Occur at all. When this happens your diabetes may be less stable, your pancreas will secrete varying amounts of insulin, and your condition may develop into what is known as brittle or poorly controlled diabetes because your blood sugar may fluctuate widely during the same day for no apparent reason. Brittle is simply the term some physicians use for a markedly fluctuating blood sugar level. In this stage it usually indicates poor daily management, and insulin, exercise, or activity may affect your blood sugar level. Better regulation of your diabetes may be necessary through dietary means, additional exercise, and alteration of your insulin intake. Close regulation may be a greater problem if you have little or no insulin production of your own.

Two Medical Emergencies to Know About

If you have insulin-dependent diabetes, you can avoid two medical emergencies by carefully monitoring your blood sugar level. Ketoacidosis (diabetic coma) is a condition of elevated blood sugar and breakdown of muscle and fat that results in a disturbance in the acid-alkaline balance in your body and causes loss of consciousness or coma. Diabetic coma can occur because of a lack of the necessary insulin dose in the presence. of the effects of stress (physical or emotional), infection, or major illness. Recognition of symptoms and prompt treatment by a physician are important. Symptoms may include flushed, dry skin, drowsiness, a fruity breath odor, deep labored breathing, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a condition that can occur because of an excess of insulin, too much exercise, or not enough food. Fortunately most cases of hypoglycemia are easily reversible. You can avoid this unpleasant complication by understanding how insulin, food, and exercise interact. Further, you can use urine testing or blood sugar testing as a guide in controlling your blood sugar. While many people with insulin-dependent diabetes seldom develop this complication it is a frequent and disturbing one that requires knowledge of diabetes and cooperation with your health care team.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 16th, 2007 at 1:27 pm and is filed under Diabetes News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.