Nurse Practitioner Kristen Smith, RN, was the special guest presenter at the Be Smart: Control Your Diabetes Seminar at the B.B. King Museum in June.
Smith’s disquisition centered on the proper care needed for handling and dispensing diabetic medications as well as helpful summer tips for those dealing with diabetes.
Diabetes typically comes in two types. In type 1 the body doesn’t produce insulin and although it can still get glucose from food, it cannot get into the cells. In type 2 diabetes, the body can still make insulin, but the person does not respond normally to it. This results in a condition known as insulin resistance.
Metformin is a medication that lowers blood insulin levels, which signals the pancreas to produce less insulin. However, over a period of time the pancreas may become unable to produce an ample supply of insulin to keep the blood glucose levels normal, so additional medication may be required.
Insulin helps balance out blood sugar levels and keeps them in a normal range.
As she talked about the different types of insulin, some that are fast-acting and others that work over a period of time, Smith also emphasized and demonstrated the best locations to inject the insulin shots and answered questions from the audience about the bruising that sometimes results.
It is also noteworthy that not all diabetics are on medications.
Smith then touched on needle safety and the importance of having some type of heavy-duty plastic or metal container to properly dispose of insulin needles and lancets, so no one else gets stuck with them. She said a coffee can or a thick plastic jug would suffice.
According to Smith, many people assume that diabetics cannot have carbohydrates and sugars. However, she said, “We have to have carbohydrates and some sugars for our bodies to work right, diabetics need sugar. A diabetic’s body just doesn’t handle sugar like it’s supposed to.” She maintained that controlling blood sugar is about watching what you eat.
Smith also discussed and compared healthy and unhealthy sugars and underscored the amount of sugar or carbohydrates in a popular 20-ounce non-diet soft drink, which is 64 grams, more than half the daily recommendation for a diabetic, and cautioned that a person dealing with diabetes should only have 100 to 150 grams of carbs per day.
“Sometimes you have to think about the unseen sugars,” she said. Smith said many people don’t realize how much sugar and carbohydrates they ingest each day because when they look at the packaging the sugars are “unseen.”
Smith shared several handouts on caring for diabetes during the summer months and advised to stay hydrated, drink plenty of water and avoid sugary drinks and alcohol.
Smith said a person can tell if they are well-hydrated by the number of times they urinate during the day and whether it is clear or light yellow in color. “If you notice that it is very dark or even brown then that is not a good sign,” said Smith.
Her other recommendations for a salubrious summer included making sure to take enough medication along when traveling on vacation, taking meds and supplies in your carry-on if you’re flying, keeping insulin out of the heat and staying on schedule when it comes to taking medications and monitoring blood-glucose levels.
She also encouraged the Thursday noonday audience to stay active, but take good care of their feet by checking for blisters, cuts, redness or swelling.
Smith is employed at the Indianola Family Medical Clinic and studied at and received many of her credentials from Delta State University.
