-
Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners
Will my daughter need insulin injections for the rest of her life?
Related Topics
My 12 year old daughter is in hospital with suspected type 1 diabetes. If the tests come back positive will she need to inject herself with insulin forever? -
Find a professional to answer your question
Find a professional to answer your question Search Now
-
1
Thanks
Lisa Renn
Dietitian
Lisa is an APD with 12 years experience, specialising in helping people identify and change habits that impact negatively on their health. Inspiring change, Lisa … View Profile
If your daughter's test results show that she has very high blood sugar levels and is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes then she will need to inject herself with insulin forever.
Type 1 diabetes is an auto immune condition where the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin are destroyed by the body. Without insulin the body cannot metabolise glucose and levels can build up to dangerous levels in the blood. People with Type 1 diabetes have to inject insulin which does the same job as the insulin the pancreas would have been producing to remove glucose from the blood stream.
Insulin can be delivered to the body by small pen like devices or via an insulin pump. Both these methods would involve small needles and she will also be required to test her blood sugar levels via a finger prick test several times per day.
This will be a time of immense learning and challenge for you both however you need to keep in mind that people with Type 1 diabetes can live long and fulfilling lives.Report this post
You must be a HealthShare member to report this post. to your account or now (it's free).
-
Lynne McCleary
Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE), Diabetes Educator
I am a credentialled diabetes educator and have been a diabetes educator for approx 20 years. I run a diabetes clinic in Toowoomba, Queensland - … View Profile
If your daughter does have type 1 diabetes, the reality is that she will need to inject insulin for the rest of her life. But she might not need to inject as such. She could use a pump, which is a little different to actually giving herself a needle every time. However with technology and how things are moving forward, in the next few years, we don't know what might be around the corner as far as diabetes management goes. At present however, insulin needs to be injected as insulin taken orally is destroyed in the stomach.
Report this post
You must be a HealthShare member to report this post. to your account or now (it's free).
