What Is 1ype 1 D|abetes?

ln people wlLh Lype 1 dlabeLes Lhe pancreas

cannoL make lnsulln 1hls vlLal hormone helps
Lhe bodys cells converL sugar lnLo energy
WlLhouL lL sugar bullds up ln Lhe blood and can
reach dangerous levels 1o avold llfe
LhreaLenlng compllcaLlons people wlLh Lype 1
dlabeLes musL Lake some form of lnsulln for
Lhelr enLlre llves
Warn|ng S|gn Unusua| 1h|rst
1he sympLoms of Lype 1 dlabeLes Lend Lo
come on suddenly and may lnclude
W eellng more LhlrsLy Lhan usual
W ury mouLh
W rulLy breaLh
W requenL urlnaLlon
Warn|ng S|gn We|ght Loss
s blood sugar levels remaln hlgh
Lype 1 dlabeLes ofLen leads Lo
DnlnLenLlonal welghL loss
l ncrease ln appeLlLe
Lack of energy drowslness
Warn|ng S|gn Sk|n rob|ems
,any people wlLh Lype 1 dlabeLes experlence
uncomforLable skln condlLlons lncludlng
8acLerlal lnfecLlons
ungal lnfecLlons
lLchlng dry skln poor clrculaLlon Clrls wlLh Lype 1
dlabeLes are more llkely Lo geL genlLal yeasL
lnfecLlons 8ables can develop candldlasls a
severe form of dlaper rash caused by yeasL LhaL
can easlly spread from Lhe dlaper area Lo Lhe
Lhlghs and sLomach
,ore Dangerous S|gns
When blood sugars are noL conLrolled Lype 1 dlabeLes can
cause more serlous sympLoms such as
W -umbness or Llngllng ln Lhe feeL
W 8lurred vlslon
W Low blood sugar/hypoglycemla
W Loss of consclousness
Some paLlenLs have no obvlous warnlng slgns before falllng
lnLo a dlabeLlc coma whlch requlres emergency LreaLmenL
,ore Dangerous S|gns ketoac|dos|s
WlLhouL LreaLmenL Lype 1 dlabeLes deprlves your cells
of Lhe sugar Lhey need for energy ?our body sLarLs
burnlng faL for energy lnsLead whlch causes keLones Lo
bulld up ln Lhe blood 1hese are aclds LhaL can polson
Lhe body Plgh levels of acld ln your blood and Lhe oLher
abnormallLles LhaL resulL from Lhe change ln your
bloods pP level may Lrlgger a llfeLhreaLenlng coma
known as dlabeLlc keLoacldosls 1hls ls an emergency
LhaL musL be LreaLed qulckly and ofLenLlmes ln Lhe
hosplLal
1ype 1 vs 1ype 2 D|abetes
ln Lype 1 dlabeLes Lhe bodys lmmune
sysLem mlsLakenly aLLacks and desLroys Lhe
pancreaLlc cells LhaL produce lnsulln ln Lype
2 dlabeLes Lhe pancreas ls noL under aLLack
and usually produces enough lnsulln 8uL for
numerous reasons Lhe body doesnL use Lhe
lnsulln effecLlvely 1he sympLoms of Lhe Lwo
forms are slmllar buL usually come on more
rapldly ln people wlLh Lype 1
What Causes 1ype 1 D|abetes?
uocLors arenL sure whaL makes Lhe lmmune
sysLem Lurn agalnsL Lhe pancreas buL mosL
suspecL a comblnaLlon of geneLlc suscepLlblllLy
and envlronmenLal facLors SclenLlsLs have
ldenLlfled 30 genes or gene reglons LhaL ralse
Lhe rlsk of developlng Lype 1 dlabeLes 8uL
geneLlcs alone donL accounL for all Lhe rlsk so
havlng Lhese genes doesnL mean LhaL youll
develop Lype 1 dlabeLes Some researchers
belleve LhaL envlronmenLal Lrlggers such as a
vlrus or dleLary or pregnancyrelaLed facLors
may play a role as well
Who Gets 1ype 1 D|abetes?
1ype 1 dlabeLes can develop aL any age
Powever lL accounLs for LwoLhlrds of Lhe
new cases of dlabeLes dlagnosed ln Lhose
under Lhe age of 19 1here appear Lo be Lwo
peaks ln Lhe age of onseL Lhe flrsL ln early
chlldhood and Lhe second durlng puberLy
1he condlLlon affecLs males and females
equally buL ls more common ln whlLes Lhan
ln oLher eLhnlc groups ccordlng Lo Lhe
World PealLh CrganlzaLlon Lype 1 dlabeLes
ls rare ln mosL frlcan -aLlve merlcan and
slan populaLlons
D|agnos|ng 1ype 1 D|abetes
Slmple blood LesLs can dlagnose dlabeLes
fasLlng blood sugar LesL or a random blood
sugar LesL (plus Lhe presence of sympLoms)
can be used n 1c LesL whlch reveals
average blood sugar levels for Lhe pasL 23
monLhs can also be used 1esLs should be
repeaLed on Lwo separaLe days Lo dlagnose
dlabeLes less convenlenL glucose
Lolerance LesL wlll also help deLermlne
wheLher you have dlabeLes lf youre
dlagnosed wlLh Lype 1 dlabeLes your docLor
may be able Lo deLermlne Lhe Lype by
checklng for cerLaln anLlbodles ln Lhe blood
Long1erm Comp||cat|ons
9rolonged hlgh blood sugar can damage many
of Lhe bodys sysLems over Llme 9eople wlLh
Lype 1 dlabeLes have a hlgher rlsk of
PearL dlsease and sLroke
kldney fallure
vlslon problems and bllndness
Cum dlsease and LooLh loss
-erve damage ln Lhe hands feeL and organs
,on|tor|ng our 8|ood Sugar
1he flrsL sLep Loward prevenLlng
compllcaLlons ls Lo regularly monlLor your
blood sugar or glucose level 1hls lnvolves
prlcklng your flnger puLLlng a drop of blood
onLo a LesL sLrlp and puLLlng Lhe sLrlp lnLo a
glucose meLer 1he resulLs wlll help you
opLlmlze your LreaLmenL plan When your
blood sugar sLays near Lhe normal range
youll have more energy fewer skln
problems and a reduced rlsk of hearL
dlsease and kldney damage
Cont|nuous G|ucose ,on|tor|ng
noLher way Lo check blood sugar paLLerns ls
wlLh a conLlnuous glucose monlLorlng
sysLem sensor measures Lhe level of
glucose ln Lhe Llssue every 10 seconds and
sends Lhe lnformaLlon Lo a cell phoneslzed
devlce called a monlLor LhaL you wear 1he
sysLem auLomaLlcally records an average
glucose value every flve mlnuLes for up Lo 72
hours 1he devlce ls noL lnLended for dayLo
day monlLorlng or longLerm selfcare and lL
ls noL a replacemenL for sLandard blood sugar
monlLorlng lL ls only lnLended for use Lo
dlscover Lrends ln blood sugar levels
D|abetes 1reatment Insu||n Shots
Lveryone wlLh Lype 1 dlabeLes musL Lake
lnsulln Lo help Lhe body process blood
sugar ,osL paLlenLs Lake lnsulln as an
ln[ecLlon and need mulLlple shoLs per day
?our healLhcare provlder wlll explaln how
Lo ad[usL your lnsulln shoLs based on Lhe
resulLs of your blood sugar LesLlng 1he goal
ls Lo keep glucose levels ln Lhe normal
range as ofLen as posslble
Insu||n keact|on Warn|ng S|gns
1aklng Loo much lnsulln can lower your blood
sugar Lo dangerous levels 1hls ls called an
lnsulln reacLlon 1hese reacLlons can be mlld
moderaLe or severe requlrlng Lhe help of
oLhers Warnlng slgns lnclude
LxhausLlon or excesslve yawnlng
8elng unable Lo speak or Lhlnk clearly
Loss of muscle coordlnaLlon
SweaLlng LwlLchlng Lurnlng pale
Selzures
Loss of consclousness
-eutra||z|ng an Insu||n keact|on
9eople who Lake lnsulln should carry aL leasL
13 grams of a qulckacLlng carb aL all Llmes
asL carbs are a way Lo brlng Lhe blood sugar
up qulckly Lo combaL an lnsulln reacLlon
Lxamples lnclude
1/2 cup of frulL [ulce or nondleL soda
1 cup of mllk
2 Lablespoons of ralslns
3 glucose LableLs or 3 Llfesavers
lf your blood sugar ls sLlll Loo low afLer 13
mlnuLes have anoLher 13 grams or a
severe reacLlon a drug called glucagon
should be ln[ecLed under Lhe skln by a famlly
member
D|abetes 1reatment Insu||n ump
Cne way Lo reduce Lhe odds of an lnsulln
reacLlon ls Lo use an lnsulln pump 1hls devlce
provldes lnsulln Lhrough a Llny Lube lnserLed
lnLo Lhe skln lL dellvers lnsulln around Lhe
clock ellmlnaLlng Lhe need for lnsulln shoLs
n lnsulln pump can help keep your blood
sugar more sLable and may allow more
flexlblllLy ln plannlng your meals lnsulln
pumps do have some dlsadvanLages so Lalk Lo
your docLor Lo learn lf Lhls opLlon ls rlghL for
you
now We|| Is our 1reatment Work|ng?
1o flnd ouL how well your LreaLmenL ls
worklng your docLor wlll probably suggesL
you have an 1c blood LesL every Lhree Lo
slx monLhs 1hls LesL reveals how well your
blood sugar has been conLrolled over Lhe
pasL Lwo Lo Lhree monLhs lf Lhe resulLs
show poor blood sugar conLrol you may
need Lo ad[usL your lnsulln Lherapy meal
plannlng or physlcal acLlvlLy
1ype 1 D|abetes and D|et
1here are many myLhs abouL whaL people wlLh
dlabeLes can and cannoL eaL 1he reallLy ls
Lhere are no off llmlLs foods ?ou can eaL
sweeLs as parL of a wellbalanced dleL and
LreaLmenL plan 1he key ls Lo work wlLh your
healLh care Leam Lo balance your lnsulln
Lherapy meals and level of physlcal acLlvlLy
1ype 1 D|abetes and regnancy
LeL your docLor know lf you plan Lo
become pregnanL When Lype 1 dlabeLes ls
poorly conLrolled lL can cause
compllcaLlons lncludlng blrLh defecLs
chlevlng good blood sugar conLrol before
concepLlon lowers Lhe rlsk of mlscarrlage
and blrLh defecLs Lo a raLe slmllar Lo LhaL of
Lhe general populaLlon lL also reduces Lhe
rlsk of compllcaLlons such as dangerous
lncreases ln blood pressure and damage Lo
Lhe reLlna ln Lhe moLher
1ype 1 D|abetes |n Ch||dren
When a chlld ls dlagnosed wlLh dlabeLes
lL affecLs Lhe whole famlly ln a very
pracLlcal way 9arenLs musL help chlldren
monlLor blood sugar plan meals and
ad[usL lnsulln dosages around Lhe clock
8ecause dlabeLes requlres 24hour
malnLenance arrangemenLs musL be
made for LreaLmenL durlng school and
exLracurrlcular acLlvlLles Laws vary from
sLaLe Lo sLaLe regardlng whlch employees
may admlnlsLer lnsulln aL school
nope for an Art|f|c|a| ancreas
8esearchers are developlng a sysLem
dubbed Lhe arLlflclal pancreas a
comblnaLlon of an lnsulln pump and
conLlnuous glucose monlLor conLrolled by
a complex compuLer program 1he goal ls
for Lhe sysLem Lo auLomaLlcally release
lnsulln ln response Lo blood sugar levels
and Lo reduce Lhe release of lnsulln when
blood sugars drop [usL Lhe way a real
pancreas does Larly Lrlals suggesL Lhe
approach can lmprove blood sugar conLrol
n effecLlve arLlflclal