Learning About and Living with Diabetes

The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse explains what diabetes is by organizing the topic in categories: pre-diabetes, type 1 and type 2, newly diagnosed, children and diabetes, and gestational diabetes. There are links to easy-to-read publications available in both English and Spanish.

The FDA offers a page about diabetes with several links to the latest news, medications, and the various tools used to keep you healthy. The FDA regulates most of the food and medical products used to treat diabetes, making this site an excellent source for the most trusted and up-to-date information.

eMedicineHealth has a diabetes section that is comprehensive and well organized. Topic areas are listed as quick links at the top of the page so you can find exactly what you're looking for, from causes and symptoms to medications and support groups. 

The American College of Physicians provides this 48-page PDF document that discusses diabetes in the African American community. The site also publishes a document about diabetes in the Hispanic American community, available in English and in Spanish.

Mayo Clinic has an article that discusses the double whammy of diabetes and menopause. The author explains how menopause can affect the signs and symptoms of diabetes, and offers ways to cope with both.

The National Institute on Aging provides this page on diabetes in older people. It describes what diabetes is, the health issues involved, and how testing is performed. The Institute suggests ways to manage the disease and offers other tips for living a healthy life with diabetes, like getting frequent eye, kidney, and foot exams.

The American Diabetes Association provides "Diabetes Personal Health Decisions," a questionnaire that helps figure out your risk for developing diabetes. You can save your profile and refer to it at a later date.

Siteman Cancer Center

is part of Barnes Jewish Hospital, and offers a "Your Diabetes Risk" tool, which was originally developed by the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention. This multi-page questionnaire asks about family history, eating habits, smoking and physical activity.

The University of Maryland Medical System offers this type 2 diabetes risk calculator. To begin, enter your age, weight, height, gender, and body frame, then answer a few questions on your health history. You'll be brought to a page that states your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development has made available this two-page document, "Am I at Risk for Gestational Diabetes?" and a 48-page document called "Managing Gestational Diabetes: A Patient's Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy" (available in PDF or HTML format).

Mayo Clinic has a comprehensive "Gestational diabetes" section with the signs and symptoms of the disease, causes, complications, treatment options, and other topics.

The March of Dimes addresses the complications that can arise during pregnancy, and here focuses on gestational diabetes. The risk factors that contribute to gestational diabetes are covered, along with the sometimes subtle symptoms to look out for.

The University of Maryland Medical Center has a page called "Diabetes - type 1" that has a thorough explanation of the tests done to diagnose this type of diabetes.

WebMD has a diabetes testing page which reviews the blood tests that you may have if your doctor suspects that you have diabetes.

The American Academy of Family Physicians provides this page on why people with diabetes should test their blood, how, and how often. You are also given an example of a chart you can use to keep track of your test results.

The FDA has a page on glucose monitoring devices, what they are, what different types do, and how to use them. It reviews factors that can affect the results, making sure your unit is working correctly, and new technology.

MedicineNet.com has a diabetes treatment section that reviews the many types of medications, making a distinction between oral medications and injections.

eMedicineHealth has a diabetes treatment section that reviews the different medications that could be prescribed for type 2 diabetes.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has a section on insulin that provides a good overview of what it is, what it does, and how to take it. This article is also available in Spanish.

Insulin Pumpers is a Web site dedicated to people with diabetes who use an insulin pump to regulate their blood glucose. Try to ignore the horrible design, silly animations and distracting advertisements: this site does provide a lot of helpful information on topics such as traveling with your insulin supplies, guidelines for children who use pumps, and FAQs about pumps.

The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse has a page called "Alternative Devices for Taking Insulin" that lists various injection aids, as well as items that are in development.

Diabetes Tracker is a Web site that allows you to keep track of your glucose levels and monitor them on a graph. You have to register with a username, but you don't have to supply an e-mail address.

The American College of Physicians has a "Diabetes Portal" with several links to help you learn how to manage your diabetes. Use this worksheet to keep track of changes you have made in your eating habits or physical activity, and the results they have had on your diabetes. This is a good way to monitor your progress. A wallet-sized medical record is also a good idea, in case of an emergency. Fill in the information (your doctor's name, allergies, prescription drugs you're taking) and carry it with you at all times.

Mayo Clinic has a section specifically on managing your diabetes if you're sick. this is an issue that many people with diabetes struggle with, as illness can send your blood sugar levels out of control.

ClinicalTrials.gov is a clearinghouse operated by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It provides a list of research clinical trials currently underway to test experimental treatments for diabetes. To learn more about clinical trials, speak to your doctor, and read the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's guide.

The Joslin Diabetes Center

has a diabetes complications section that offers many links to information on the various health issues that can affect people with diabetes, including eye health and kidney disease.

The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse has a comprehensive section on diabetes complications. It covers conditions such as stroke, erectile dysfunction and kidney failure. There are also several links to information on keeping diabetes under control and prevention complications.

The National Library of Medicine

has an interactive tutorial to educate patients on how diabetes can cause eye complications. The tutorial is also availabe in a PDF.

Mayo Clinic

says managing diabetes is a lifelong responsibility. This page offers 10 ways you can initiative to avoid complications.

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has a worldwide "AACE Physician Finder" where you can search for an endocrinologist in your area.

DearJanis.com has a moderated forum encourages people with diabetes, or parents of children with diabetes, to communicate with each other, to ask questions, and to help each other by sharing experiences.

The American Diabetes Association has message boards that allow you to speak with other diabetics or parents of children with diabetes. There are sections for those who are newly diagnosed, for parents, for teens and children, and sections on diabetes news, nutrition, and exercising. There is also a forum available in Spanish.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International offers three newsletters to which you can subscribe, depending on your interest. The Life with Diabetes E-Newsletter is for newly diagnosed families and covers important tips. The Research Frontline newsletter covers the latest diabetes research findings, and the Emerging Technologies E-Newsletter covers the latest information on the use of technology in diabetes. This site also features an online support team that is staffed by volunteers who are available to answer your questions.

The American Diabetes Association has a number of newletters that you can subscribe to, including a weekly roundup of diabetes news, a parents' newsletter, and family health.

KidsHealth has a "Diabetes Center" especially for kids that thoroughly explains diabetes in child-friendly language. The diabetes "movie" uses simple graphics to illustrate how insulin works and what happens in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

The Eagle's Nest is an educational program for children with diabetes sponsored by several government agencies, including the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. The site is full of links for child-friendly information and activities for children to learn about diabetes. Free coloring books are also available for download.

Think Like a Pancreas is an interactive Flash animation catering to adolescents. A talking pancreas with a French accent serves as your tour guide as you explore blood sugar levels, lifestyle issues, and troubleshooting suggestions.

The American Diabetes Association has a section for both parents and children. This section provides information on diabetes care, living with diabetes, information on diabetes and the law, and more. There are teen and youth sections where kids can go to learn about diabetes in age-friendly language, and an area on "Special Occasions" that offers tips on how to cope with these usually sugar-filled events.

The National Diabetes Education Program is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This section of the site answers some questions that parents may have about their children with diabetes, such as meeting treatment goals and how this affects the rest of the family.

The Canadian Diabetes Association provides this PDF document entitled "Kids With Diabetes in Your Care" for anyone who works with children: daycare workers, teachers, coaches, and even the parents and family members of the children. It's a resource kit for anyone who wants to know about diabetes and includes a quiz for you to test your own knowledge.

Children with Diabetes has a chat room available to registered users. You can also read past chat transcripts.

Diabetes Teen Talk is a site that offers "friendship, education and inspiration" to teens with diabetes. There is a message board where teens can talk to other teens, a "Life" section where they can read about other teens with diabetes, and an "Interviews" section that features chats with diabetes experts and celebrities who have diabetes.

The National Library of Medicine

has an interactive tutorial on meal planning for people with diabetes. This presentation is also available as a PDF.

The American Diabetes Association has a "Nutrition and Recipes" section with many links that may help you maneuver around what can seem like a food minefield. From sections on how to read food labels to making easy choices, the information is plentiful. There is also a link for dining out.

The Diabetes Mall features a "Diabetes Cyber Kitchen" with Judith Jones Ambrosini, a chef and author with type 1 diabetes. Scroll through the many meal plans and recipes to get your mouth watering. Find Judith's story about her life with diabetes at the bottom of the page.

RecipeSource has a "Diabetes Recipes" section with a large selection of recipes to please the palate. There are recipes for everything from stews to stuffing to muffins. Search the subcategories at the top of the page, or browse the alphabetical list.

KidsHealth has a page for parents to help with meal planning for their kids with diabetes. This site also has kid-friendly recipes.

The Canadian Journal of Diabetes is a peer-reviewed professional journal that publishes articles about diabetes and diabetes research quarterly. Full articles from archived issues are free. Visit the "Clinical Trials" area to learn about those taking place in Canada.

Diabetes

is a monthly journal published by the American Diabetes Association for physicians and researchers who work in the Diabetes field. You musht have a subscription to read the full articles, but accessing the abstracts is free.

The Diabetes Research Institute provides links to the latest research news, including emerging technologies and stem cell research, information on clinical trials and diabetes news in the mainstream media.

Diabetes Health Magazine has "Newsrooms" for updated news tailored for beginners, kids, professionals, type 1 and type 2. Also check "Diabetes Health TV" for shows from the American Association of Diabetes Educators conference.