Diabetic Self-Management

At this rate, if nothing substantial is done, the day is not far when lessons on diabetes management will be a part of the nursery syllabus, if not the pre-nursery ones. The word diabetes would rival the words like Papa, Mummy, Madam, and “Diabetes, diabetes” will be sung along with “Twinkle, twinkle little star”. Perhaps, a few other nursery rhymes will also be written in the glory- or dread- of the diabetes!

Wishful thinking, you say? Not really, considering the fact that millions of children across the globe are afflicted by the disease. It's quite certainly high time for an imaginative and effective policy formulation to educate children about the dangers and prevention of diabetes. It is within the knowledge of every one concerned with diabetes, as a sufferer or a treatment provider, that there are two types of diabetes, type I and type II. Over 90 % of the patients belong to the later category, whereas the former type is very dangerous. Many deadly diseases are waiting in the wings of the Type I diabetes patients.

A child with diabetes is indeed someone to be handled with utmost care and caution. The disease is not easy, either on the child or those responsible for monitoring his or her health. Constant care and attention is required. It is not possible to send the child on a vacation. The child cannot mix freely with other children. It is a sort of solitary confinement for the child, without being actually so. Children like all sorts of food, which unfortunately are wrong types of foods from the point of view of controlling diabetes.

It is no use playing the hide and seek game with the children and keeping them in dark about their condition. Many countries, therefore, organize special children camps to create awareness for self-managing the diabetes. In the camp, lessons are given to the children to boost their confidence and live with the reality of diabetes as part of their life. Such camps are held under expert medical supervision.  The atmosphere in the camp is both enjoyable and experience-enhancing. Interaction with other children suffering from diabetes boosts the morale of a child and he no longer feels like a lonely sufferer in the wide healthy world.

Such camps are the live demonstration for the health care officials as well. They too learn a lot by interacting with the children, hailing from different backgrounds. This first hand exposure gives valuable data to the policy makers. When it is a known fact that the diabetes is an incurable disease, its proper self-management is the only practical way to deal with it.

Researchers and medical practitioners are now showing greater interest in the dietary and workout aspects, for it is being increasingly felt that the best way to control the blood sugar levels is take a suitable diet combined with regular exercise.

There is no better way of living with diabetes than understanding that there is no medicine that could help you deal with it better than a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise as one of its indispensable features.
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