Type 1 Diabetes basic information

In Type 1 Diabetes, your body is not producing insulin, a hormone needed to convert blood sugar into energy. Normally this hormone is produced by cells in your pancreas, but for some reason this is not happening as it should.As the glucose in your blood can't be converted into energy and absorbed by your cells, it builds up causing high blood sugar. Left untreated, high blood sugar can cause serious long-term health problems.The normal treatment for people with type 1 diabetes is daily injections of insulin which keeps the blood sugar level within normal ranges. Risk Factors Diabetes type 1 The causes of type 1 diabetes are largely unknown. Risk factors currently under study include exposure to cow's milk in infancy, and infections of various kinds. The signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes include: frequent urination in large amounts, excessive thirst, unusual weight loss, fatigue, irritability, nausea and vomiting, and a particular odour to the breath (acetone or sweet). Also, children with type 1 may not grow as well as other children of the same age. Although, most people with type 1 experience one or more of the above symptoms before seeing a physician, it is possible for altered consciousness (such as a coma) to be the first symptom of type 1 diabetes.

Managing of diabetes type 1 Though there is no cure for diabetes, the disease can be managed using a team approach involving family physicians and other service providers. Those with type 1 diabetes must depend on externally supplied insulin in the form of daily injections (by way of syringes and needles, injection pens, or insulin pumps). They also need to monitor their blood sugar at frequent intervals, and must learn how to adjust their insulin intake according to the amount they plan to eat and exercise. Visit Prevention & Management for more information. New Research There is, as yet, no cure for type 1 diabetes. But research is currently under way into the transplantation of insulin producing cells. In a successful transplant, these cells did produce insulin, eliminating the need for daily insulin injections. However, medication is still needed to suppress the reaction of the immune system to the newly transplanted cells. The transplant therapy remains experimental at present.