Do You or Someone You Love Have Diabetes? Here’s What You Can Do To Help

Diabetes and Emergencies  

Have you recently been diagnosed with diabetes? Or have you been fighting against type 1 or type 2 diabetes for a while? Maybe you’re helping a loved one? Well, you’ve come to the right place. This is the start of gaining a deeper understanding of what you can do to help yourself or someone you know living with diabetes. With a few simple tools, tips, ideas, and knowledge about diabetes, and what you can do in case of an emergency, you can live your best life. 

If you or someone you know has diabetes, then you probably know that diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how the body processes food into energy. Regardless of race, age, shape, or size, diabetes can occur at every age in any person. According to the CDC, 37.3 million US adults have diabetes. That’s about one in ten people worldwide. Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations and adult blindness. 

Common Diabetic Emergencies To Be Prepared For

There are different types of diabetes, each with different causes, but they all share a common problem – an excess of glucose in the bloodstream. Whether you or someone you know has diabetes, it’s important to know what to do when an emergency occurs. Below are two of the common emergencies someone can run into with diabetes:

1- Hypoglycemia

AKA low blood sugar or insulin shock. When someone passes out from hypoglycemia, it’s considered a medical emergency. DON’T give them food or liquid as they could choke.

• Causes: Skipping a meal, over-exercising, drinking alcohol, taking too much insulin.
• Symptoms: Confusion, blurred vision, seizures, passing out
• What you can do: Follow the 15/15 rule – Eat 15 grams of fast-acting carbs (3-4 glucose tablets or gels, 4 ounces of fruit juice or soda, or a tablespoon of honey or sugar, and wait 15 minutes.

2- Diabetic Ketoacidosis AKA DKA.

This is considered a life-threatening emergency.

• Causes: Not enough insulin injected, not enough food, insulin reaction during sleep 
• Symptoms: Dry or flushed skin, nausea, vomiting, trouble breathing, confusion, passing out
• What you can do: Pee with a ketone test kit. If the ketones are high, call a doctor. If the signs are serious or increasing, go to the emergency room or urgent care right away.

Understanding Type 1 Diabetes and What To Do During An Emergency

Type 1 diabetes can affect anybody, at any age, race height, or weight. Learning as much as you can about it as well as learning what you can do to help yourself or somebody else facing an emergency with diabetes can help you remain safe and confident in your helping abilities. 

In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. In fact, the body breaks down the carbohydrates that are eaten in blood glucose that is used for energy. Type 1 diabetes can be managed by living a healthy lifestyle filled with exercise, a good diet, and basic knowledge about the type of diabetes and what it can do to your body. 

Symptoms that can appear relatively suddenly include:

• Fatigue and weakness
• Blurred vision
• Risk of blood clots
• High blood pressure and cholesterol 

Understanding Type 2 Diabetes and What To Do During An Emergency

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and put simply, it means that your body doesn’t use insulin properly. This is because, 1) cells in muscle, fat, and liver become resistant to insulin. And because these cells don’t interact normally with insulin, they don’t take in enough sugar. 2)

The pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to manage blood sugar levels. And while it’s possible for some to control their blood glucose levels through a healthy diet and consistent exercise, others may need medication or insulin shots to help them manage it.  Some of the signs and symptoms that are relatively sudden include: 

• Fatigue and blurred vision 
• Numbness or tingling 
• Frequent infections

According to the Mayo Clinic, you should see your doctor if you notice any signs or symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Other signs that occur over a longer period of time include:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Increased hunger
• Unintended weight loss 
• Darkened skin, usually on the armpits and around the neck

Further complications with type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes affects a number of major organs in the body, including the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys. Several complications of diabetes to be aware of include:

1. Heart and blood vessel disease. Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis – the narrowing of blood vessels. 
2. Nerve damage in limbs (neuropathy). High blood sugar over time can damage or even destroy nerves, resulting in numbness, tingling, burning, pain, or eventually the loss of feeling that typically begins at the fingertips or toes and gradually works its way up to your body.  
3. Kidney disease. Diabetes may lead to chronic kidney disease or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, which may lead to a kidney transplant. 
4. Eye damage. Diabetes increases the risk of eye diseases and may damage the blood vessels of the retina, which can lead to permanent blindness. 
5. Hearing impairment. Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes. 
6. Sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is common in people living with type 2 diabetes. Obesity may be the main factor in both conditions. 

Medical Bracelets Can Save Lives Diabetes and Emergencies

A medical identification bracelet can help save a life, especially in cases of emergencies. EMS personnel are trained to recognize basic medical alert bracelets that could help them gain important information about the patient, especially if the patient is unconscious or unable to speak. 

Engraved diabetes bracelets have become more popular. Individuals with diabetes have even started getting the word “diabetic” tattooed on their wrists. 

ENGRAVED BRACELET can be worn to show one specific piece of information like:

• Engraved first and last names or
• Engraved medical conditions or
• Engraved allergies or
• Engraved current medications or
• Engraved emergency phone numbers/contacts

“FOUND ME INTERACTIVE BRACELET” with an interactive QR code can be scanned and show at once all the info you decided to share

• 1 QR code:
  • First and last name and
  • Type of diabetes and
  • List of medical conditions and
  • Medical history and
  • Blood type and
  • Listed allergies and
  • Height/weight and
  • Current medications and

Also, when the QR code is scanned, up to 5 emergency contacts are immediately notified while your first responders can start a multilingual chat or video chat with them and even share their location!

Hearing that your child or loved one has diabetes can be frightening. Thankfully, with a little bit of planning and preparation, you can get back to normal life and go on with your daily activities. 

FOUND ME is here to help you. Our interactive products (bracelets, necklaces, medical cards, etc) have so much to offer from just one simple QR code that can be scanned through any smartphone wherever you are. 

To learn more about it, visit FOUND ME