Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not properly process or use a hormone called insulin. Insulin is used by the body to break down sugar and other food and turn is into energy. Diabetes is divided into several different categories based off of the way it affects your body. Type 1 diabetes is a specific type of diabetes and generally accounts for about 10% of the diabetes cases in the United States.

Type 1 diabetes is frequently diagnosed in children and is often called juvenile diabetes. The pancreas is an organ located in the human body, which among many other things produces insulin. Those with Type 1 diabetes experience a loss of the beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. This results in little or no natural insulin production.

Those with type 1 diabetes often experience increased thirst and urination. This is because as glucose begins to build up in your blood stream, your body begins to absorb water from its tissues. Blurry vision is another common sign of diabetes and is as a result of fluid being pulled from your lenses. Increased hunger and weight loss is also common. This is because your body is not properly using and storing food energy. This causes your body to become depleted of energy, which in turn causes your muscle and fat to shrink. The lack of properly processed energy can also cause fatigue.

In most cases Type 1 Diabetes can be controlled, but not cured. Type 1 diabetes requires consistent and regular monitoring of the blood sugar level. Depending on the type of treatment being used, it can be necessary to take blood sugar readings more than 4 times a day. As dictated by blood sugar levels, insulin is used to help combat the effects of diabetes. Some type of insulin treatment will be required by those with Type 1 diabetes. This often involves using a small needle or insulin pen. An insulin pen is a medical device that is similar in shape and size to an ink pen, but is filled with insulin instead of ink. An insulin pump is another type of device that is used to combat diabetes. It is worn outside of the body and dispenses insulin to the body at specific rates. Insulin is the key to combating Type 1 Diabetes, and there are several different types. Depending on the type the insulin can be designed to work faster, last longer, or combinations of the 2. It must be injected though because the enzymes in the stomach negate the effects of the insulin if taken orally.

Scientists are continuing to experiment to find a cure for diabetes. In some instances a pancreas transplant has been used successfully to cure diabetes, but it is extremely risky and there are many dangerous side affects. The transplant themselves are not always successful and if they are, it will require a lifetime of special drugs to keep the body from rejecting the organ. These drugs often result in infection and organ injury, so these transplants are rarely used except in cases where the diabetes does not respond to normal treatment. Currently the best way to treat diabetes is through proper blood monitoring, insulin treatment, and proper eating and exercising.