Ordering Diabetes Supplies Online

If you have been managing diabetes for a while and are hoping to save some money on your diabetes supplies, check with your doctor about ordering these supplies online. A little bit of research can lead to significant savings on your monthly diabetes supplies.

Once you get the go-ahead from your doctor, start asking other people you know who have diabetes, where they order their diabetes supplies. Start making a list of companies using online reviews as well, and then begin your research.

There are many diabetes supplies that can be ordered online – from a continuous glucose monitoring system, lancets, control solutions, to insulin pumps but you need to validate the online supplier.

First, check out the BBB (Better Business Bureau), to be sure there are no complaints or lawsuits pending. Then, check to be sure that your health insurance plan is accepted by the company. If you narrow down your list with these two requirements, you can then begin to check other requirements you may have.

For example,some of the companies on your list may offer free shipping. Some may have a minimum order amount, but that might be feasible for you each time you order. Make sure there are no upfront expenses, and if there is a no-risk guarantee, take it, and try them out.

There may also be some extra incentives for you to try a company, and these are good to note. Maybe a company has an order reminder that you can set up with your email account to help you stay on top of your supplies. Companies may offer free items to entice you such as cookbooks or meters or even online support. This is a great way to stay connected and may tip the scale in that company’s favor.

Take your time and have a checklist. Once you realize the ease and savings of ordering online, you may never have to invest that much time keeping up with your diabetes supplies again.

Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes

Each year more than 13,000 youths are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Also known as juvenile diabetes, type 1 diabetes is a condition in which a child’s immune system destroys pancreatic cells that make the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar. Only 5 percent of people with diabetes have this form of the disease.

Type 1 diabetes requires consistent care, including monitoring of blood sugar and regular insulin injections daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. But even young children diagnosed with the disease can learn to manage the condition and live long, happy lives. Early detection and treatment is important.

The symptoms for type 1 diabetes usually develop quickly. Here’s what to look for:

• Increased thirst and frequent urination
• Extreme hunger
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Irritability or unusual behavior
• Weight loss
• Yeast infection or diaper rash in babies

Talk to your child’s pediatrician if you feel your child may be exhibiting any of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes. Early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment for diabetes may decrease the development of the complications of childhood diabetes.

Living with Brass Monkey

While living with diabetes means learning how to control your blood sugar levels through diet and exercise, for some it also means learning how to use various diabetes supplies. One such supply is the insulin pump. Using an insulin pump can initially make many patients nervous, but once they realize the benefits and the control they maintain, it becomes a great tool in their efforts in managing diabetes.

An insulin pump is set to deliver small amounts of insulin throughout a 24 hour period via a catheter placed underneath the patient’s skin. With an insulin pump the insulin will keep up with how you like to spend your day rather than you having to change your activities based on your blood sugar levels. Because it delivers insulin in small doses, you can be assured that your blood sugar levels are maintained between meals and while you sleep. It is very accurate and will prevent large swings in your levels. You can also control an extra amount of insulin if you have just eaten a high carbohydrate meal or snack. This extra shot is called a bolus and it covers the extra insulin needed.

The insulin pump allows you to maintain the quality of life you have always had by eliminating the need for individual injections and letting you have more flexibility in what you eat. You and your diabetes team should always be striving to find the best, most efficient ways to help you keep your blood sugar levels in your optimal target range.

Understanding the Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

It would not be an understatement to say that America is facing an epidemic in terms of the growth of Type 2 diabetes.

And if there’s any good news to be found in this development, it is the fact that Type 2 diabetes can be effectively managed through exercise and diet. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for Type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is far less common yet far more serious than Type 2 diabetes. Without proper diabetes care, Type 1 diabetics who fail to effectively manage their blood sugars may face blindness or even amputation. In addition, recent research found that Type 1 diabetics face an increased risk of heart disease if they fail to manage their glucose levels.

Type 1 diabetes is best described as an autoimmune condition in which white blood cells attack the pancreas and render it unable to produce insulin. Lacking insulin, cells cannot be enriched with glucose, which helps regulate the body’s metabolism. As a result, Type 1 diabetes must check provide their bodies with insulin and check their levels multiple times a day.

And fortunately, many recent medical advances such as insulin pumps have helped to make the lives of Type 1 diabetics manageable and routine.

Monitoring Blood Glucose

In this space we recently discussed other insulin-delivery options now available for diabetics, including insulin pumps and insulin pens.

Fortunately, there have also been great strides in measuring and tracking blood sugars, and these developments can prove tremendously helpful to Americans managing diabetes.

The traditional way to check blood sugars is known as “blood glucose monitoring.” It is recommended for all diabetics, particularly those who are pregnant, taking insulin, or severe fluctuations in glucose levels.

To test their sugars, diabetics take a test strip, place it into a meter, and touch it with a drop of blood; the level automatically shows up on the meter’s display.

That said, for millions of diabetics, the process is time-consuming and disruptive, particularly if they must test their sugars in a public place. Which brings us to “continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).”

A CGM sensor is placed under the skin, linked to a transmitter, and tracks blood sugar levels every five minutes. Better yet, it automatically stores these readings; traditional monitoring methods require diabetics to manually write their levels down in a book.

Consider Insulin Pens or Insulin Pumps to Help Manage Your Blood Sugars

For the millions of Americans managing diabetes every day, each year brings with it new hope for treatment, particularly in the delivery of insulin to the body.

But before we discuss the types of treatments available, it’s first important to fully understand how diabetes affects the human body. Diabetes, for all intents and purposes, stems from an individual having an excess of glucose in their blood.

Glucose – also referred to as “blood sugar” – is “food” for cells in muscles and tissue as well as the brain, providing them with critical energy.  But an excess of glucose can severely impact neurological and cardiovascular functions, such as causing numbness in limbs.

Therefore, the cornerstone of diabetes management is keeping glucose levels stable using insulin. Normally, diabetics should periodically monitor their blood sugars and inject insulin as appropriate. But there have been some encouraging developments on that front.

Insulin pens, for example, deliver insulin just under the skin and already contains insulin; as a result, diabetics don’t need to withdraw insulin from the vial into the needle. Insulin pumps, meanwhile, can be used instead of injections; a computer chip continually monitors blood sugars and automatically releases insulin through a tube under the skin.

Talk to your doctor to see if either option would be right for you.