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A service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases |
Your Guide to Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2
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Printer-friendly version of the “Action Steps” if you use insulin
- Follow your meal plan.
- Don’t skip meals, especially if you’ve already taken your insulin, because your blood glucose may go too low. (See chapter 3 for information on how to handle hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar.)
- See your doctor before starting a physical activity program.
- Check your blood glucose before, during, and after exercising. Don’t exercise when your blood glucose is over 240 or if you have ketones in your urine.
- Don’t exercise right before you go to sleep, because it could cause hypoglycemia during the night.
Keep a daily record of
- your blood glucose numbers
- the times of the day you took your insulin
- the amount and type of insulin you took
- whether you had ketones in your urine
- Tell your doctor if you have hypoglycemia often, especially at the same time of the day or night several times in a row.
- Tell your doctor if you’ve passed out from hypoglycemia.
- Ask your doctor about glucagon. Glucagon is a medicine that raises blood glucose. If you pass out from hypoglycemia, someone should call 911 and give you a glucagon shot.
- Take your insulin, even if you’ve been throwing up. Ask your doctor about how to adjust your insulin dose, based on your blood glucose test results.
When you travel,
- take a special insulated bag to carry your insulin to keep it from freezing or getting too hot
- bring extra supplies for taking insulin and testing your blood glucose in case of loss or breakage
- ask your doctor for a letter saying that you have diabetes and need to carry supplies for taking insulin and testing blood glucose
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The NDIC is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH