Type 1 Diabetes

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Calling Your Health Care Provider

Medical follow-up for a person newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes should probably occur weekly until good control of blood glucose is achieved. The health care provider will want to review results of home glucose monitoring and urine testing, and a diary of meals, snacks, and insulin injections.

As the disease becomes more stable, follow-up visits will be less frequent. Periodic evaluation is very important for the evaluation of long-term complications associated with diabetes.

Call your health care provider or go to the emergency room if symptoms of ketoacidosis are present:

• increased thirst and urination
• nausea
• deep and rapid breathing
• abdominal pain
• sweet-smelling breath
• loss of consciousness (This may occur in insulin dependent diabetics when a dose of insulin is missed, or if illness or infection is present.)

Go to the emergency room or call the local emergency number (such as 911) if symptoms of severe hypoglycemia or insulin reaction are present:

• trembling
• weakness
• drowsiness
• headache
• confusion
• dizziness
• double vision
• lack of coordination
• convulsions or unconsciousness

Early signs of hypoglycemia may be treated at home by eating sugar or candy or injecting glucagon. If the signs of hypoglycemia are not relieved by the above action or if blood glucose levels remain below 60 mg/dL go to the emergency room.