Have you ever seen one of those big Thanksgiving Day parade balloons? Whether it's
Spongebob Squarepants or Bullwinkle, a small army of people on the ground need to
hold those ropes tightly. If they don't, the balloon might just sail off into the
sky.

Diabetes can be a little like that. You have to work to keep it under control.
Luckily, you have helpers. You, your parents, and your diabetes
health care team can work together so your blood
sugar levels stay as close to normal as possible.
Sometimes this can seem like a lot of work, but it will pay off. How?
- You'll feel better.
- You'll grow up just the way you should.
- You'll be less likely to have health problems from your diabetes when you get
older.
Over time, having too much sugar in the bloodstream can damage important body organs,
like the heart and kidneys. This can cause serious health problems.
Also, having low blood sugar levels can make you feel bad and make it harder for
you to do all the things you want to do.
The good news is that keeping blood sugar levels under control can help keep you
healthy and prevent health problems down the road. That's why everyone might seem
concerned about keeping your diabetes under control. They want you to feel good, be
healthy, and stay healthy.
What Can Make Blood Sugar Levels Be Out of Control?
Managing diabetes is like a three-way balancing act between the medicines
you take (insulin
or pills), the food that you eat, and the amount of exercise you do. All of these
need to be balanced. A problem with any one can send blood sugar levels up too high
or down too low.
In general, out-of-control blood glucose levels can be caused by:
- not taking diabetes
medicines when you're supposed to
- not following the meal
plan (like eating too much or not enough food without adjusting diabetes medicines)
- not getting regular
exercise or not making changes to your diabetes treatment plan when you exercise
more or less than usual
- being sick or having too much stress
- not checking blood sugar levels often enough
Check your blood sugar levels regularly and take good notes when your glucose levels
are too high or too low. This will help your diabetes team make changes to your diabetes
management plan, if needed. You and your mom or dad can work together to collect this
info and pass it along to your doctor.