The treatment of type 1 diabetes

As soon as you or your child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, insulin treatment begins.
This is important. It helps lower blood glucose levels and prevents further deterioration of health. You also learn how to measure blood glucose, so you know.

GoOD TO KNOW:

Together with your healthcare provider, you create a schedule. This schedule outlines how much insulin you need and at what times.

To determine how much glucose is in your blood, you measure your blood glucose. This can be done with a glucose meter or through continuous glucose monitoring.

Eating healthily and getting enough exercise is important. When doing so, you need to take diabetes into account.

More knowledge about type 1 diabetes helps in treating the disease. Diabeter supports you in this.

Insulin in ype 1 iabetes

It is important to start insulin treatment as soon as possible in type 1 diabetes. Unfortunately, insulin cannot be taken in pill form. It is a substance that breaks down in your stomach, making it ineffective that way. Therefore, insulin must be injected under the skin, into the subcutaneous fat.

After a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, the diabetes team creates a treatment schedule. This outlines which type of insulin is needed, how much, and at what times it should be administered. There are different types of insulin:

Short-acting insulin: This is injected multiple times a day, especially around meals. It helps the body process carbohydrates from food. Short-acting insulin is also commonly used in insulin pumps.
Long-acting insulin: This is injected once a day, usually before bedtime. It works for 24 to 48 hours and ensures a constant baseline level of insulin in the body.

Insulin can be administered using an insulin pen or delivered via an insulin pump with an infusion set.

INSULIN PEN

When injecting insulin, you use an insulin pen. It looks like a thick fountain pen. With a small needle attached to the pen, insulin is injected into the buttock, thigh, or abdomen. There are two types of insulin pens:

Disposable pen: This insulin pen comes pre-filled with insulin. Once it’s empty, you throw it away.
Reusable pen with penfill: This pen is empty by default. You fill it yourself with a small insulin cartridge (ampoule). When the pen is empty, you replace the cartridge.

The amount of insulin you need to inject can be easily set with an insulin pen. After diagnosis, the diabetes nurse explains how to inject. It may seem complicated at first, but most people learn quickly. For children with type 1 diabetes, the parents learn how to inject insulin. When the child is old enough, they learn to do it themselves.

Learn more about the treatment of type 1 diabetes with an insulin pen

INSULIN PUMP

Most people at Diabeter use an insulin pump for type 1 diabetes. This is a small device containing short-acting insulin that you carry with you at all times.

The pump delivers short-acting insulin through a small plastic tube inserted into the skin—called a catheter. You replace this every three to seven days, depending on the type of pump and catheter you use.

Together with your diabetes care team, you set the amount of insulin needed on the pump. The pump then delivers a small dose of insulin every few minutes. When needed—such as during meals or when blood sugar is high—you can instruct the pump to deliver more insulin. This is done by pressing a few buttons on the device.

Learn more about the treatment of type 1 diabetes with an insulin pump.

Measuring blood glucose

To determine how much insulin you need, it’s important to know your blood glucose level. Right after diagnosis, we teach you how to use a glucose meter. Your diabetes nurse will explain how to use it.

To measure your blood sugar with a glucose meter, you use a test strip. This is a small strip that you insert into the meter. Then, you perform a finger prick—pricking your finger to get a drop of blood. You place this drop on the test strip in the meter. After a few seconds, the glucose meter displays your glucose level.

CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITORING (CGM)

Continuous glucose monitoring—commonly referred to as “the sensor”—can be a major improvement for many people with type 1 diabetes in managing their blood sugar levels. With this small device worn on the skin, your glucose levels are continuously visible, and it often needs to be connected to an insulin pump.

Not everyone aged 18 and older qualifies for CGM reimbursement through their health insurance. Certain conditions must be met.Read more about CGM here.

Nutrition and exercise

A healthy lifestyle is important. This means eating well and getting enough physical activity. People with type 1 diabetes need to pay extra attention to their blood glucose levels. It’s helpful to have a good understanding of carbohydrates and nutrition, as this supports better blood glucose management.

If you have type 1 diabetes, you don’t need to follow a special diet. However, eating healthily does help.

More about nutrition and diabetes

TYPE 1 DIABETES AND EXERCISE

Regular physical activity is very healthy, especially if you have type 1 diabetes. Exercise helps insulin work more effectively. That’s why exercising with type 1 diabetes can also feel challenging—especially if you’re prone to low blood sugar. Still, it’s important to stay active, as it offers many benefits, such as:

More stable glucose levels: Exercise makes your body more sensitive to insulin, which often means you need less insulin. This helps keep your blood glucose more balanced.
Lower risk of heart and vascular problems: Exercise is good for your organs and reduces the risk of other conditions alongside type 1 diabetes.
Positive impact on your HbA1c and Time in Range

Learn more about the challenges of exercising with type 1 diabetes

Learning about diabetes

Most of the care for type 1 diabetes is self-managed. The diabetes team at Diabeter supports the treatment, but managing blood glucose is something you do yourself most of the time. This is also called self-management. That’s why it’s important to know as much as possible about type 1 diabetes.

Especially in the first year after diagnosis, gaining knowledge about the disease is very helpful—even if your child has type 1 diabetes. Diabeter supports you in this and answers your questions.

QUALITY GUIDANCE

The first year of treatment for type 1 diabetes is crucial for the 10 to 15 years that follow. If you receive clear explanations and good guidance during that first year, it can benefit you for the rest of your life.

At Diabeter, we understand how important the diabetes care team is in this process. That’s why we focus on multidisciplinary diabetes care, where our medical specialists, diabetes nurses, and dietitians work closely together and stay up to date with the latest diabetes technologies.

There’s a lot to take in—so much to learn and master: carbohydrates, the impact of exercise, hypos and hypers, injection sites, and much more. It’s not always easy, but at Diabeter we know that this investment is essential for learning to live well with type 1 diabetes.

For people newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, we offer a comprehensive education program. Our medical team walks through every aspect of living with type 1 diabetes step by step. Patients treated at Diabeter can always call for advice, and in emergencies, our Emergency Line is available 24/7.