The topics addressed in TEACH:diabetes cover five basic areas of diabetes education: Exercise, Blood sugar monitoring, Foot Care, Nutrition, and Medication, as well as a general introduction. All content is updated on a regular basis.
Introduction to Diabetes:
A general introduction familiarizes the user with basic information about diabetes, including risk factors for diabetes and how diabetes affects the body.
Exercise and Diabetes:
The exercise chapter covers the overall benefits of exercise, planning activity programs, types of exercise, and measuring the effects of exercise. This chapter also explains how exercise may affect blood sugar and introduces the concept and symptoms of hypo and hyperglycemia.
Monitoring and Diabetes:
The chapter on blood sugar monitoring introduces the user to the types of tests used to monitor blood sugar, tips for selecting a glucometer, and the steps involved in testing blood sugar using a home glucometer. Information on when, and how frequently to test blood sugar levels is also included.
Foot Care and Diabetes:
The importance of good daily foot care is the focus of the chapter on foot care. This chapter opens with an explanation of the increased risk of foot problems for people with diabetes and covers such topics as cleaning and inspecting the feet, lotions and powders, signs of infection, and taking care of toenails.
Nutrition and Diabetes - Parts 1 & 2:
Nutrition is split into two separate chapters. Topics covered in the first nutrition chapter include: meal planning, the food pyramid, serving sizes, the energy use groups, and keeping food safe. The second nutrition chapter builds on the first by explaining the importance of choosing a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, the types of fats, and different forms of sugar.
Medication Parts 1 & 2 - Insulin and Diabetes Pills:
Insulin and diabetes pills are explained in the two chapters on medication. The differences between insulin and pills are covered as well as the specific types of insulin and diabetes pills. The characteristics of each type of insulin are described in addition to the proper way to store and care for insulin. The five categories of diabetes pills are also addressed, including: the areas of the body affected by each category, side effects, and the use of medication combinations.
