Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease; in simpler terms the body's immune system becomes confused and begins to attack the cells in the pancreas which produce insulin, these cells are called "Beta cells". Due to the destruction of these cells production of insulin comes to a virtual standstill. This causes wild variations in blood sugar levels, which are essential for maintaining the correct amount of energy being stored and being used for various activities. For this reason Type 1 diabetes is a very dangerous disease which has the potential to be lethal if not diagnosed and treated quickly. This is a quick rundown of things you need to know about diabetes.
1. Self-Diagnosis
There are several things that are warning signs of having developed Type 1 diabetes. The most obvious ones include a change in sleep patterns and/or feeling tired, an involuntary loss of weight, frequent urination and a change in appetite. If you have had any of these symptoms recently and are generally feeling "under the weather" then you should consult your doctor because there may be a serious underlying cause.
2. Cause
There is still a lot of scientific debate as to what is the cause of Type 1 diabetes. It has been proven that the immune system attacks beta cells, however what begins this process is still largely unknown although there are several theories currently trying to explain the development of the disease. Two of the most prevalent currently are the existence of a faulty nerve near the pancreas which has the ability to trigger an immune response. It has also been proven that accidental ingestion of some chemicals has the ability to trigger Type 1 diabetes.
There is also believed to be a genetic basis of the disease.
There is a certain gene on chromosome 6 that has so far been identified to be a contributor to developing diabetes called IDDM1. There have also been some genes that may be weak in diabetes patients on chromosome 11 and 18. Having a genetic make-up can only ever make you prone to diabetes however; type 1 diabetes is believed to be 50-70% environmental in its development according to a recent study. Environmental factors that are already believed to contribute include whether or not a child has been breastfed (those who haven't are estimated to be twice more susceptible to type 1 diabetes) as well as the levels of Vitamin D the person has.
3. Symptoms
Symptoms of having Type 1 diabetes without treatment include difficulty getting to sleep and waking up, weight loss, changes in appetite, confusion, fever, stomach pains and vomiting. However if the fluctuations in blood sugar vary too much then a coma may be induced which in serious cases is fatal if the patient does not receive the correct treatment quickly. Research has shown that damage to the blood vessels can also be caused through having Type 1 diabetes.
With effective, vigilant responsible of the disease however there are very limited symptoms, perhaps in the mornings or in the nights you will feel particularly sleepy however after a meal and an insulin injection then you can carry on as normal. All of the above symptoms are suppressed if the patient sticks to their diabetes management plan provided by their physician effectively. Modern medicine has made a life with Type 1 diabetes as normal and as full of opportunity as one without.
4. Treatment
It is well known that people can be treated with regular insulin injections in order to manage blood sugar levels. This factor alone has saved countless lives of people with diabetes and extended the lives of people with Type 1 diabetes greatly.
There are other methods of treating diabetes though, one of which is a full blown pancreas transplant. The problem with this method of treating the illness is that the person must then be on immunosuppressants for the rest of their lives after the transplant and their simply aren't enough pancreases being donated for transplant to make this a viable option. There is also research going into the transplantation of stem cells into the pancreas in order to develop new beta cells to produce insulin. The research for this method is not complete however there has been news in the press that research is looking promising in this area. Disadvantages of this approach however include the current lack of understanding of stem cells and the difficulty in extracting them from a patient in order for relocation in the pancreas. This is in my opinion by far the most promising piece of research ongoing for the treatment of diabetes.
5. Prevention
Due to the still unclear cause of Type 1 diabetes a definite preventative measure has not been identified so far, though there is work ongoing in drugs which aim to prevent the immune system from attacking beta cells in the pancreas in the first place. The problem with this is that environmental factors which contribute to Type 1 diabetes are as of yet not clearly defined so it would be difficult selecting who should receive treatment to prevent the development of the disease. Without this crucial bit of information it would be far too costly to give the drugs to the large range of people who are believed to be susceptible to developing the disease.
6. Who is most at risk?
Pretty much anyone can develop Type 1 diabetes, despite the popular belief that you are born with it or develop it in childhood (earning the disease the name of "Juvenile diabetes"). Typically people who develop diabetes are between the ages of 10-12 in girls and 12-14 in boys, corresponding with the onset of puberty. This does not mean however that adult cannot develop the disease. There have been many cases where adult patients have been misdiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes simply because of the belief that they are too old to have developed the former type.It is also worth noting that white people have a higher chance of getting diabetes than people from other ethnic backgrounds.
Once again because of the still unclear cause of Type 1 diabetes much debate is on how to lower the risk to yourself, conversely though it is widely accepted that living a healthy lifestyle by eating a healthy, balance diet and exercising regularly can do you absolutely no harm in trying to avoid the disease.
When answering the question "What is Type 1 diabetes?" one key thing needs to be pointed out. Type one diabetes is NOT the end of your life. Due to advances in modern medicine and the ever promising research into preventative measures and cures the life of diabetics in the near future are looking even better than they are today.