Type 1 technology
Find out about the different ways to inject the insulin needed to manage type 1 diabetes, for example regular injections or insulin pump therapy.
Injecting insulin is the way to manage type 1 diabetes. Insulin dosages need to be adjusted to match your carbohydrate intake and your activity and blood glucose levels.
The challenges of living with type 1 diabetes
Regular insulin injections and checking blood glucose can help people with type 1 diabetes to get their glucose levels close to target. However, keeping glucose near target is difficult and there is a risk of low blood glucose level, which is called hypoglycaemia or a hypo.
Frequent low blood glucose levels can put your health at risk.
Having to manage your glucose on a daily basis can also be unpleasant and upsetting which may affect your work and relationships.
Keeping blood glucose levels close to target with the help and support of specialist diabetes teams can reduce the risk of diabetes complications.
Regular injections or insulin pump therapy?
Insulin pump therapy can replace regular injections and make sugar levels less variable. A pump works by continuously giving you small amounts of insulin, which can be adjusted to give more or less depending on your glucose level, food, activity and other things.
Insulin pump therapy may be funded by the NHS however there is guidance about who is eligible which you should discuss with your doctor or nurse specialist.
Continuous glucose monitors
Continuous glucose monitors use a sensor to detect glucose and show your levels on a receiver or mobile phone. They also provide alarms for when glucose levels are falling or rising quickly, or if glucose is high or low.
People on insulin pump therapy or frequent insulin injections can use continuous glucose monitors. You can buy continuous glucose monitors online or they may be funded by the NHS however there is guidance for adults and children about who is eligible which you should discuss with your doctor or nurse specialist.
Flash monitoring for blood glucose checking
Flash monitoring can replace blood glucose checking and uses a similar sensor to continuous glucose monitoring. Although flash monitoring doesn’t give you alarms, it can show the last eight hours of glucose values, whether the glucose is going up or down or stationary and whether changes are fast or slow.
You can buy these devices online and some patients will be able to get funding from the NHS if they are eligible, which you should discuss with your doctor or nurse through specialist clinics.
Type 1 diabetes technologies from North West London clinics
All technologies for type 1 diabetes are available in North West London through specialist clinics for those who qualify on the NHS for funding. They can be powerful tools to help with type 1 diabetes management when added to support and education.
Your clinic can discuss the type 1 diabetes technologies that may be useful to you and the funding available.
Visit Diabetes UK for information and advice about diabetes technology.
Useful eLearning courses
Take the "My insulin pump" course.
Take the "Considering an insulin pump?".
