Type 1 diabetes is a life long disease. It affects 5-10 percent people in the North America. Though people from any age group can suffer from this disease, it is usually found in children, adolescents and young adults. A patient with this ailment has a malfunctioning panceas. It does not produce enough amount of insulin hormone in the blood raising the blood sugar level. This article discusses the symptoms, causes and treatment of this disease.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes:
Unfortunately, the symptoms of this disease remain latent mostly, but originate nearly 13 years prior to the diagnosis. Some of the signs to watch out for are:
- Fatigue
- Feeling hungry
- Blurry eyesight
- Frequent urination
- Frequent thirst
- Weightloss
- Tingling feeling in feet
- Headache
- Nervousness
- Rapid heart beat
- Weakness
- Shaking
- Deep breathing
- Flushed face
- Stomach pain
- Dry skin and mouth
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fruity breath odor
Causes of Type 1 Diabetes:
The food we eat has to eventually get converted into energy. This energy is utilised by cells to carryout various functions of our body. A hormone called insulin is responsible for providing cells with glucose or body energy. The cells store excess of energy or glucose for later use.
Special type of cells called beta cells present in an organ, behind stomach, called pancreas produce insulin. For some unknown reasons, in a type 1 diabetic patient’s body, the beta cells stop producing insulin. Within 5-10 years, our own body completely destroys these beta cells and natural insulin production is stopped for ever inside the body.
As a result, the food we eat does gets converted to glucose. But absence of insulin leads to its presence in the blood itself, without reaching its ultimate destination, the cells. As there is rise in the levels of glucose in the blood, an undesirable condition called type 1 diabetes prevails.
Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes:
A simple blood test is used to diagnose this disease. According to the 2010 recommandations of the American Diabetes Association, the conditions and their associated sugar levels are:
- Normal if below 5.7 percent
- Prediabetic if between 5.7 percent and 6.4 percent
- Diabetic if above 6.4 percent
There is no cure for this disease yet. It means it can only be treated. Some of the treatment methods are:
Insulin: This hormone can artifically be injected into the body to meet its requirement. It does not come in a pill form. There is a device called insulin pump which makes the substance enter into the blood stream anywhere between 1-4 times per day.
Diet: It is a must that type 1 diabetic patients eat food nearly at same times per day. They follow a strict diet after consulting a registered dietician or nutrition counsellor.
Physical Activity: Regular physical activities like walking or jogging keeps the blood sugar levels in control and decrease the excess requirement of insulin in the body. The exercise should be done at a specific time as a part of a routine schedule.
Foot Care: Diabetic patients should take special care of their foot. A small sore can lead to severe infection and even amputation of limbs as the blood vessels get easily damaged by this disease.
