While all this can be hard, there are a few things you can do to make the day-to-day difficulties of life with diabetes easier. The iPhone is known for having a huge amount of apps, but did you know that there are apps made for diabetes sufferers? These can help you manage meals and glucose levels and even offer other helpful features.
Diabetic Meal Planner
Usually children love food full of fat and sugar, but that can be a very big health hazard when your child has diabetes. Knowing what foods you can safely prepare can be difficult with these hazards. This app is made specifically to help you create meals that will not agitate this condition. By measuring the glycemic index and glycemic load of each food item, this will help you make a full-course meal for your child.
The free version includes 38 foods, which is a little small. However, if you upgrade to the full version, you gain access to 975 foods. It’s a little expensive at $13.99, but definitely worth it.
Type2Friendly
Along with making meals for you child, there is something else even more difficult: finding restaurants at which he or she can safely eat. While this app is specifically for Type 2 diabetes sufferers, Type 1 sufferers can get some use out of this as well. This app will show you local restaurants and the items that are safe for your child. Not only that, but it will give you directions to the restaurant as well.
Glucose Buddy
Having to manage how many carbs your child has eaten, when or if you administered insulin, and your child’s current glucose level can be hard for even the most studious mother. With Glucose Buddy, you get a data storage app that helps you manage all this information in one place. You can easily enter the data, and it ensures that you never forget to give your child insulin or check his or her glucose. Forgetting just one piece of information can lead to trouble, so pick up this app to make sure nothing bad ever happens.
Bant
Bant is another data storage app that helps you remember your child’s glucose levels. All of the information is also automatically added to your Google Health page, and you can talk to other mothers and diabetes sufferers through Twitter right from this app. This makes it very easy to share information with doctors, and to keep track of your child’s glucose level.
GlucoSentinel
Aside from helping you track glucose levels, this app is great for mothers who may be forgetful. One of the best features of this app is that it remembers when you are supposed to log in glucose levels. If you don’t enter a log, then your iPhone will have an alert, reminding you to take the levels now. Not only that, but the alert will also be sent to your support group, which will further help you to remember entering this value. This is best for forgetful moms, or mothers who are just starting to take their child’s glucose levels.
Glucose Mate
Another glucose data log app, the main feature of this one is that it contains a glucose analysis chart. This chart tracks glucose levels, along with how the glucose was affected by meals and time. You should always show this information to your child’s doctor, as it will help him or her adjust insulin dosages and it will be easier to determine if other medications are needed.
Lifescan
This iPhone app does everything, except take the actual glucose levels, but it is sure close! Once you take your glucose level with an appropriate device, you can plug the device into your iPhone to instantly add the measurement. This makes life much easier, and there are several other helpful features. This app makes it easy to tell other caregivers how your child is feeling right now, and it can help you make meals that are healthy and safe. Another plus is that it helps you administer the right amount of insulin based on how the glucose has changed from meals. There is also a chart that helps analyze all the recent readings, so you can see how your child is doing in the long-term.
As I mentioned in the beginning, having a child with diabetes can be very challenging to monitor and manage. You have to constantly take glucose measurements and prepare meals that do not agitate the diabetes. However, there are many iPhone apps designed to make life easier for you. Try them out, and you will see that they make managing life and managing this condition so much easier. Most of them are free or inexpensive, so you won’t have to spend much to get the help you need to simplify this condition.
Sandy M. is a blogger and and technology enthusiast who loves to simplify what matters most in the information age. She stays busy with her two young sons and keeping up on the latest gadgets. She also writes about finding trustworthy auto insurance companies online and helping people get the cheapest auto insurance possible.
