http://lifescan.ie en http://lifescan.ie/knowledge/article/background/catch <h1>Can you catch diabetes?</h1> <p class="first"><img src="/sites/dev-lifescan-ie.jnj.com/files/images/catch-diabetes.jpg" alt="Can you catch diabetes? Image" title="Can you catch diabetes?" /></p> <p class="second">Don't worry - unlike playground coughs and colds, you can't catch diabetes. The important thing is that children with diabetes, and crucially their friends, understand this. If your child has been diagnosed with diabetes, ask the nurse to come to their school and explain the condition to their classmates. Understanding diabetes makes it easier for everyone to live with - and this guide will help.</p><p>Diabetes is not infectious. This may be obvious to adults but young children may be less confident. It is very important to get the message across to all friends, both at home and at school, that they cannot &ldquo;catch&quot; diabetes off you or anyone else. The best way may be to explain this to the whole class when going back to school. Ask the diabetes nurse to come to school and talk to friends and teachers about diabetes, and show them how injections and blood glucose tests are performed. Also tell them about the symptoms of hypoglycaemia and what they can do to help.</p> <p>It is especially important for teenagers with newly diagnosed diabetes to tell their friends. If, for whatever reason, you don&rsquo;t do this shortly after you are diagnosed, it becomes increasingly likely you will not tell them at all. Telling other people is a very important part of accepting your own diabetes.</p> Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:24:52 +0000 siteadmin 20 at http://lifescan.ie