How to Support a Loved One with Diabetes

There are more than 37 million people in the U.S. who have diabetes—that’s 11 percent of the population. If you don’t have the disease, you certainly know someone who does.

Managing diabetes can be difficult, but there are ways you can help or offer support to someone who needs it.

1. Know what diabetes is and how it’s treated.

Diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by excess sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream. The hormone insulin, made by the pancreas, helps convert the sugar from food into energy for the body’s cells. However, with diabetes, the body doesn’t make insulin or enough of it, and the body may be resistant to insulin. This leaves too much sugar in the blood and causes health problems.

Depending on the type of diabetes, blood sugar monitoring, insulin and oral drugs may be part of the treatment. Type 1 diabetes requires lifelong insulin therapy, while type 2 diabetes management often starts with lifestyle changes and oral medications, potentially progressing to insulin therapy if needed. Learn more about some of the most common treatment methods.

Looking for more information to help you learn about diabetes? AZ Blue has resources to help.

2. Look out for the symptoms of low blood sugar.

If a person with diabetes experiences a major drop in his or her blood sugar (called hypoglycemia) from their insulin or diabetes medications, this can be dangerous and lead to life-threatening problems such as seizure or becoming unconscious (especially problematic when driving). So it’s important for people around them to be aware of the signs of low blood sugar. Learn about the signs and symptoms of low blood sugar, how to treat it when it happens, and how to prevent it from happening.

3. Help ease stress and be a workout buddy.

Too much stress can raise blood sugar levels and make it harder to manage diabetes. Being active plays an important role in managing diabetes. It helps control blood sugar levels and lowers the risk of heart disease and nerve damage. If the person is interested in pursuing exercise and asks you to join him or her, go for it. You can also gauge whether the person is interested in activities you like, such as going for walks, swimming, dancing, bicycling or playing a team sport. Exercise is good for people with and without diabetes, and this will help you, too.

4. Be open to the kind of help they want.

Each person with diabetes has his or her own way to manage the condition. It’s best to offer support to that person in a way they choose. It’s also OK if that person doesn’t want your help. Ask how you can be there for him or her.

Above all, don’t be critical. People with diabetes have good and bad days just like everyone else, and they don’t have to be perfect.

Living with diabetes yourself? Use these tips and resources to help you live well.

Next time you talk to a family member or friend about diabetes, try a few of the items listed above and see if it makes a difference!