Type 1 Diabetes Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment

What Is Type 1 Diabetes ?

Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. The far more common type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin.

Various factors may contribute to type 1 diabetes, including genetics and exposure to certain viruses. Although type 1 diabetes usually appears during childhood or adolescence, it also can begin in adults.

Causes Of Type 1 Diabetes

The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is not yet known, but we do know it has a strong family link and cannot be prevented. We also know that it has nothing to do with lifestyle, although maintaining a healthy lifestyle is very important in helping to manage type 1 diabetes.
At this stage nothing can be done to prevent or cure type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms Of Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes happens most often in children and young adults but can appear at any age. Symptoms may include

Being very thirsty
Urinating often
Feeling very hungry or tired
Losing weight without trying
Having sores that heal slowly
Having dry, itchy skin
Losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your feet
Having blurry eyesight

Diagnosis Of Type 1 Diabetes

Diagnoses of Type 1 Diabetes are as follows:

Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test
Random blood sugar test.
Fasting blood sugar test

Further blood tests, to check for autoantibodies that are common in type 1 diabetes. These tests help to distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The presence of ketones byproducts from the breakdown of fat in your urine also suggests type 1 diabetes, rather than type 2.

Treatment Of Type 1 Diabetes

Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes:

Taking insulin
Carbohydrate counting
Frequent blood sugar monitoring
Eating healthy foods
Exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight

Insulin and other medications

Types of insulin are many and include:

Rapid-acting insulin
Long-acting insulin
Intermediate options

Examples are regular insulin (Humulin 70/30, Novolin 70/30, others), insulin isophane (Humulin N, Novolin N), insulin glulisine (Apidra), insulin lispro (Humalog) and insulin aspart (Novolog). Long-acting insulins include glargine (Lantus) and detemir (Levemir).

Insulin administration