This month, we welcome a new member to our Panel of Experts – Dr. Claudine Lee, a GP from Hilton in KZN with a special interest in Type 1 diabetes. Find out more about her (as well as the rest of the experts) here.
Here are a few tips from Dr. Lee on how to manage diabetes well – and what advantages insulin pump therapy offers. Let us know if you have any questions for her!
Top tips for Type 1 diabetes good blood sugar control :
- Regular exercise – one sure way to keep things controlled (it must be a way of life).
- Correct food choices in terms of carbs, especially portion size and dosing correctly to “mop up” the carbs without any lows.
- Knowing if you are more sensitive to insulin in the morning or evening and adjusting your dose in connection with that.
- Knowing your numbers and testing, if you don’t know where your sugar is at you can’t respond to it.
- Being on the correct insulin to match your lifestyle/meals/exercise.
Advantages of insulin pump therapy:
- Getting rid of hypoglycemia (lows) especially bad lows.
- One prick every 3 days.
- Basal rate of insulin matched specifically to you, less insulin used (thus better weight control).
- Bolusing for meals is extremely simple and aided to control sugars exactly.
- Better control = better wellbeing generally.
- For the young: you can decide impromptu to stay over at a friend/function as all you have for the next 3 days for your diabetes is on your person.
Photo by Sam Truong Dan on Unsplash
Good evening I am looking for support groups in Cape Town, if possible Century City, for adult Type 1 Diabetics.
Thank you
Hi Pam!
We don’t run support groups – you’ll find those at Diabetes South Africa: http://www.diabetessa.co.za
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