|
|
 |
Diabetes in Teens
More than most other conditions, diabetes requires taking an active role in your own treatment. Empower your child to "take charge" of her diabetes care in and out of the doctor's office! As your child grows, encourage her to develop her own relationship with her doctor and other members of her diabetes care team. Encourage her to ask questions and bring concerns about her diabetes care to you and to her diabetes care team.
Remember, there's no one right way to take care of diabetes, so encourage her to tell the diabetes team when she has trouble with diabetes treatment. Emphasize that members of the diabetes care team are experts in diabetes, but you and your child are the experts in how well a diabetes treatment plan works in her life. The diabetes team can help adjust insulin, eating, and exercise programs to improve her control of her diabetes.
The teen years are a good time to foster an independent relationship between your child and her doctor (and the diabetes team). Schedule time at each appointment to talk to the doctor one-on-one. Of course, you should still be included in discussions and decisions about her diabetes care, but that one-on-one time will prepare your child for managing her diabetes independently as an adult.
Teen Talk About Diabetes
Teenagers will deal with a lot of changes in their bodies as they mature. The same hormones that cause puberty and make their faces break out make good diabetes care tough. Blood glucose levels may go up and down a lot more, resulting in unexplained highs and lows. It may seem like diabetes treatment is being adjusted every other week. Try to hang in there though. Good diabetes care is essential to growth and health, both now and in the future.
As your body changes, you may be moody or irritable more often. You may have to check your blood glucose a little more often to help you distinguish between a normal bad mood and hypoglycemia. You may feel down a lot, angry, or more stressed about diabetes than usual. Teenage girls may find that their menstrual cycle affects their diabetes. If you notice a monthly pattern of change in your bg levels, talk to your doctor about it. You may be able to make some adjustments to compensate. Some teens are tempted to try alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. You already know that none of these substances are safe. You may not know that they pose even more danger to people with diabetes, and here's why.
Alcohol
While you've heard about the dangers of drinking and of especially drinking and driving, for your diabetes even a little alcohol can be dangerous. Alcohol on its own can lower your blood glucose. The sugary mixers in some drinks can raise your blood glucose. In addition, it's difficult to recognize the signs of hypoglycemia when you're drinking. You may think that you're feeling the effects of alcohol, when in fact your blood glucose is taking a nose-dive. Others may attribute any strange behavior to your being drunk, even if they know you have diabetes.
Don't forget that drinking is illegal until you're 21. If you decide to drink, keep it to a minimum. Stick to one or two drinks only, and avoid drinks with sugary mixers. Don't drink on an empty stomach -- the danger of hypoglycemia is too great. On the other hand, don't let yourself pig out when you drink. Then you'll face the opposite problem. Also, learn the alcohol and carbohydrate content of various drinks. Choose the ones with lower alcohol and sugar. And always wear your medical ID, especially if you drink -- just in case.
Tobacco
Smoking is double trouble for people with diabetes, because diabetes already increases the risk of heart disease and kidney problems. Some people think that chewing tobacco is safer than smoking. In fact, the opposite is true: your body absorbs even more nicotine from chewing tobacco than it does from cigarettes. Chewing tobacco and snuff are also linked to mouth and nose cancer. If you already smoke, quitting can protect you from further damage from tobacco. It can be very difficult to quit, however. Talk to your doctor or find a support group in to help you quit.
Illegal Drugs
We can't say strongly enough that you should steer clear of all illegal drugs. Always.
|
|
|
|
