Diabetes I
What is Hypoglycemia?
Low blood sugar levels. "Hypoglycemia is when someone is experiencing low glucose levels in their blood, less than 4 mmol/L" . (Cobbett et al., pp. 1296-1297).
What is Diabetic Ketoacidosis?
"Diabetic Ketoacidosis occurs when the pancreas is not producing enough insulin, so the body starts to breakdown fats as another source of fuel. From fat being broken down, ketones are found left in the blood which can cause very serious health issues." (Cobbett et al., pp. 1293-1294).
What is Diabetic Retinopathy?
"Diabetic retinopathy occurs when there is damage to the blood vessels inside the retina, due to high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels." (Cobbett et al., p. 1300).
What are Complications of the Foot and Lower Extremities?
Complications of the foot and lower extremities "include loss of protective sensation, not wearing footwear and stepping on a foreign object which can lead to injury, or wearing footwear that does not properly fit." (Cobbett et al., p. 1302).
What is Preventive Screening?
When managing diabetes or prediabetes it is important to know the risks associated with the disease and how to prevent or reduce further complications. “Monitoring your blood pressure while recording a log is helpful to see trends in your blood glucose levels. It is also important to know and education family members with the signs and symptoms and hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia”. (Cobbett et al., p 1293). It is important to “inspect the feet daily, noting any signs of wounds or infections, to have proper nail care, by carefully cutting and filing the nail evenly.” (Cobbett et al., pp. 1302-1303). Lastly is that “every diabetic patient should have their eyes checked annually.” (Watkins et al., p 146).
Management of Hypoglycemia
"Management of hypoglycemia begins when a person is experiencing blood sugar less than 4 mmol/L. Start with ingesting 15-20g of a carbohydrate, that contains a small amount of fat or fibre. This can delay the absorption of sugar. After 15 minutes check blood sugar levels, if still less than 4 mmol/L, ingest another 15-20g of carbohydrate. Check blood pressure again in 15 minutes, once it is greater than 4 mmol/L, the person should have a snack if their next meal is more than an hour away." (Cobbett et al., pp. 1297-1298).
Management of Diabetic Ketoacidosis
"To manage diabetic ketoacidosis, it may require hospitalization. It begins with fluid and electrolyte therapy, this will replace intracellular and extracellular water in an attempt to raise sodium levels. When blood glucose levels reach 14 mmol/L, dextrose will be administered." (Cobbett et al., p. 1295)
Management of Diabetic Retinopathy
"Procedures including injections and incisions of the eyes". (Cobbett et al., p. 1300).
Management of Complications Associated with the Foot and Lower Extremities
"If a person is experiencing a nonhealing wound or skin infection they should notify their health care professional immediately, have proper wound care, offload weight from injury site, exercise the feet daily." (Cobbett et al., p. 1302-1303).
Physical Activity
Physical activity is a great way to help manage Diabetes. “A person with diabetes should participate in a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity everyday for at least 5 fives a week. This is because the physical activity increases the tissue level of glucose transporters, the number of insulin receptors and the sensitivity to insulin. Which means over time the body is going to have a more sensitive reaction to insulin which physical activity.” (Lari et al., 2018)
What are the Risk Factors for Diabetes?
There are many risk factors associated with diabetes, and it is crucial to reduce these factors. The risk factors include “family history of diabetes, having high fat contents in the blood, high blood pressure, peripheral vascular disease, changes to the skin, including deformities or ulcers, depression, obesity, cerebrovascular disease, and intolerance to glucose.” (Watkins et al., pp. 37, 179, 190,198, 209). Other risk factors include “having inconsistence exercise and a poor nutrition.” (Cobbett et al., pp. 1283-1285). If you already have Diabetes, there are some other risk factors that can lead to further complications. These include "wearing tight socks, putting lotion between your toes, ignoring the signs of skin infections, going bare foot, or wearing shoes that do not properly fit". (Cobbett et al., p 1293).
What Should the Blood Glucose Levels be for a Diabetic Person?
For a person with diabetes, their blood glucose levels should be "4-7 mmol/L before eating a meal and 5-10 mmol/L after eating a meal". (Diabetes Canada, 2018).
How Psychosocial Support can Help People Living with Diabetes?
Managing a chronic illness is difficult to do by yourself and it is important to have support from your family and others around you. “People that are dealing with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing depression, and are less likely to follow their treatment plan, be less social, participate in higher risk behaviours, have lower activity levels and poor diet. These can lead to further complications with diabetes.” (Watkins et al., p 198). Social support is important because “their knowledge of the disease can help guide the person to make the right decisions regarding their health and recognize the signs further complications of diabetes.” (Dawane et al., 2025).
What is the Importance of Treatment Adherence?
When managing diabetes, it is important to adhere to your treatment and medications. “Self-monitoring and logging of your blood glucose with a monitor is a great way for you to be alerted of hyperglycemic or hypoglycemic events the second you start to feel unwell. To prevent events like those from occurring, it is important to know when and how to take your medication and take them everyday.” (Cobbett et al., p 1286). Since diabetes is chronic disease “with loss of insulin production, adhering to your treatment is important to keep your blood glucose levels under control.” (Watkins et al., p 55).
Healthy Nutrition
When managing diabetes, it is important to follow a strict and healthy diet because “eating habits that are unhealthy can lead to complications with diabetes.” (Lari et al., 2018). Here is a list of healthy eating habits to add to your diet “increase fibre intake, decrease sugar intake, decrease fatty food intake, and eat 3 meals that are evenly spread throughout the day.” (Cobbett et al., pp. 1283-1284).