A
Teaching
Resource
Guide
Part 1 of 2
Diabetes: What it is and why it happens
• Diabetes is a condition that causes sugar levels in your
blood to be high
• When you have diabetes:
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Your pancreas does not make insulin, or
It does not make enough insulin, or
Your body prevents the insulin you do make from working right
As a result, sugar can’t get into your cells, so it stays in your
blood
• That’s why your blood sugar
gets too high
Taking care of your diabetes
• Diabetes can cause problems. But diabetes-related
problems don’t have to happen
• Millions of people live long,
full lives with diabetes
• You can be one of them
• Taking care of yourself
and managing your
blood sugar is the key
Your diabetes care: it’s a team effort
• You are not alone when it comes to managing your diabetes
• You may have a team of healthcare professionals working
with you
• You may also have family members or friends for help and
support
• But the most important member of the team is you
• As the captain of your team, you need to:
• Learn as much as you can about diabetes in general
• Know as much as possible
about your diabetes and
your health
Your diabetes care plan should include:
• A meal plan
• A physical activity plan
• A plan for how often you should check
your blood sugar
• Your personal blood sugar goals
• When to take your diabetes medicines
• A schedule for regular checkups
• Other health goals
“The key to diabetes management is getting
educated about diabetes and realizing that this
disease is controllable.”
–Karen R., South Carolina
Diabetes care schedule
• Daily:
• Check blood sugar as recommended
by your diabetes care team
• Every 3 months:
• Regular office visit
• A1C test (if blood sugar is
not stable)
• Blood pressure check
• Weight check
• Foot check
• Every 6 months:
• A1C test (if blood
sugar is stable)
• Dental exam
Diabetes care schedule
• Every year:
• Physical exam
• Comprehensive foot exam
• Blood fats and cholesterol
tests (more often if not at goal)
• Kidney tests
• Dilated eye exam
• Flu shot
“I’ve learned to be proactive in my own care and
to educate myself. It is never too late and might
just give you more years to enjoy with life.”
–Cheryl K., Maryland
Checking your blood sugar
• Why:
• Checking your blood sugar yourself
is often the best way to be sure your
diabetes is under control. It tells you:
• If your insulin or other diabetes
medicine is working
• How physical activity and the foods
you eat affect your blood sugar
• Based on your care plan, you may want to
test when:
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You wake up
Before meals or large snacks
1 or 2 hours after meals or large snacks
Before and 15 minutes after physical activity
Keeping a blood sugar diary
Target blood sugar levels for people
with diabetes
Goals for People With Diabetes
A1C
Less than 7%
Before meals
70 – 130 mg/dL
2 hours after meals
Less than 180 mg/dL
Adapted from the American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical
care in diabetes—2009. Diabetes Care. 2009;32(suppl 1):S13-S61.
Insulin: a medical breakthrough
• People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin to control
blood sugar
• People with type 2 diabetes who take insulin may find
that they have more flexible eating and activity
schedules
What are the different types of insulin?
• Rapid-acting:
• Controls blood sugar surges
at mealtime
• Long-acting:
• Controls blood sugar between
meals and during sleep
• Premixed:
• Combines rapid-acting and intermediate-acting insulin
• Controls blood sugar at mealtime and all day and night
What is an insulin plan?
• Your plan will help you take insulin
the way your body would make it
if you did not have diabetes
• Your plan tells you:
• What type of insulin to take
• How much insulin to take
• When to take insulin
• Your plan is based on:
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When and how much you eat
Your current blood sugar level
Your level of physical activity
Your lifestyle
Injecting insulin
• How:
• Insulin pen
• Syringe filled from a bottle of insulin
• Insulin pump
• Where:
• Abdomen
• Thighs
• Backs of the upper arms
“With the insulin pen, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3…
The pen technique has brought me more freedom
to take care of my diabetes.”
–Mayra A., New Jersey
Storing insulin
• Follow the instructions on the insulin label
• Keep unopened insulin containers in
the refrigerator
• It’s usually okay to store insulin at
room temperature once it’s been
opened, but check the label to make sure
• Don’t let insulin become too hot or too cold
• Keep insulin out of bright light and sunlight
• Do not use insulin after the expiration date on the label