How to treat type 1 diabetes?

When you have type 1 diabetes, your body is no longer able to produce the hormone called insulin.
This means that you must actively make sure your body receives insulin several times a day.

You cannot take insulin as a pill. On the contrary, insulin must be taken as an injection.

This means that you must inject insulin into your body.

You can take insulin either by using an insulin pen or with an insulin pump.
If you take insulin with a pen, you must take insulin several times a day.
You must for example take insulin before eating, or if your blood sugar is too high.
This means you need to have your insulin pen with you on the go.

Most people inject insulin into their abdominal tissue or into the thigh.
You must inject insulin subcutaneously by using a very short and thin needle which is 4 to 6 millimetres long.

If you have an insulin pump, you receive insulin from the pump.
This means that you don't have to inject yourself every time you need insulin.
Out of the pump comes a thin hose with a plastic needle at the end that must be placed subcutaneously.
And you need to change the needle approximately every three days.

It is important to understand that the pump does not think for itself.
You must key in yourself how high your blood sugar is and how much you eat.
The pump then gives you the amount of insulin it has calculated that you need.

It is individual how much insulin you need.
It also varies how often you need insulin.
But most people take insulin several times a day.

There are various types of insulin.
Some insulin works quickly and helps get your blood sugar down quickly, for example, when you eat.
Other types of insulin work slowly and help keep your blood sugar down when you sleep, for example.

To know how much insulin you need, you need to measure your blood sugar several times during the course of the day.
Your need for insulin varies throughout the day.
And your need for insulin depends on what you eat and drink, but also on how physically active you are.

In addition, stress, disease, fatigue and your mood also affect your blood sugar.
This means that all people with type 1 diabetes need an aid that can measure blood sugar.
It can be a blood sugar measuring device or a blood sugar sensor.

Most measure their blood sugar by using a blood sugar measuring device — a so-called finger stick — and test strips.
Some have a sensor.
It is attached to your body and continuously measures your blood sugar.

You agree together with your diabetes caregiver on how often you should have a hospital appointment.
Many have an appointment every three or six months, but the rest of the time you are responsible for your treatment with insulin, making blood sugar measurements and so on.
It is therefore important that you know how to handle your type 1 diabetes in your everyday routine.

There will always a hotline you can call at most out-patient clinics for diabetics if you need advice or guidance about type 1 diabetes.

You and your diabetes caregiver will combine the best treatment for you.
You should be aware that diabetes often changes over time, and therefore, your treatment will change too.
Always contact your diabetes caregiver if you have any questions about your treatment.