Diabetes Research Institute helps save American soldier from life of brittle diabetes
Brittle diabetes
What is brittle diabetes and what treatment does it require?
The term brittle diabetes is applied to someone with Type 1 diabetes who oscillates from one extreme to another, i.e. swings from severe hyperglycaemia (blood glucose much too high) to severe hypoglycaemia (blood glucose much too low) with all the problems that are encountered with a hypo. Someone with this problem is frequently admitted to hospital for re-stabilization.
The term brittle is not a good one because to some extent the blood glucose of all people taking insulin swings during the 24 hours from high to low and back again. It is therefore restricted to those people in whom the swings of blood glucose are sufficiently serious to cause inconvenience with or without admission to hospital.
It is important to realize that brittle diabetes is not a special type of diabetes and only applies when the instability is severe. This normally occurs at a time when perhaps someone may be emotionally unsettled. It is particularly common amongst teenagers, especially girls. It is most encouraging that, as emotional stability and maturity are reached, so brittle diabetes disappears, and most of these people will become reasonably stable and their frequent admissions to hospital will cease. During any particularly difficult period it is well worth remembering that it will not last for ever.
I have ‘brittle diabetes’ and my doctor has advised me to stop working. Am I entitled to any benefits?
The term brittle diabetes is used rather too loosely. It is usually taken to mean someone whose blood glucose rises or falls very quickly and who may develop unexpected hypos. Many conditions may contribute to this but one of the most common factors is an inappropriate dose of insulin.
Other factors, which may contribute include irregular meals and lifestyle, poor injection technique, and general ignorance about the problems of balancing food, exercise, and insulin. Few people have such difficulty in controlling their diabetes that they have to give up work, but welfare benefits are available to people with diabetes in the same way as they are to anyone else.
