Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Type 1 diabetes is also called the “disease of the young”. Since it manifests itself, as a rule, in adolescents and people under the age of 30 years. However, unfortunately, it does not disappear with age.

Let’s see what type 1 diabetes is, whether it can be prevented, how to deal with the disease, and whether there is some magic remedy to forget about the diagnosis forever.

What is type 1 diabetes disease

“Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by impaired carbohydrate metabolism, when absolute insulin deficiency occurs, in other words, when insulin stops being produced,” says endocrinologist, author of the project “Endocrinology with Meaning” Konstantin Smirnov.

In most cases, this is caused by destruction (destruction – approx. Auth) of pancreatic beta cells as a result of an autoimmune lesion. For those who don’t know, it’s worth explaining: autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s immune system “something went wrong” and it starts attacking healthy cells instead of protecting them.

Useful information about type 1 diabetes

How Type 1 Diabetes Occurs

Unfortunately, the nature of the disease is such that you will never know for sure why the immune system suddenly started a war against the native organism. However, there are some factors that, according to experts, affect the occurrence of type 1 diabetes.

“The development of the disease includes not only a genetic predisposition, but also a large contribution is made by the environment,” says Dr. Smirnov.

In addition, there are opinions that type 1 diabetes can cause acute respiratory viral infections or other viral infections at a very young age.

There are also suggestions that in babies with a hereditary predisposition to hyperglycemia, artificial formulas or early accustoming to cow’s milk can provoke diabetes.

We are talking about children for a reason.

– Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but it mainly develops in children and manifests itself before the age of 30, – says Dr. Konstantin Smirnov.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, 1 adolescents aged 70 years and older are diagnosed with type 000 diabetes each year.

It is noteworthy that, unlike type 2 diabetes, this disease always begins in an acute form – and can often manifest itself as a severe form of acidosis (disturbance of the acid-base balance of the body) or even diabetic coma.

Can type 1 diabetes be cured

– In this matter, it would be more correct to use another term – a state of long-term remission (not to be confused with compensation and achievement of target glycemic values). And yes, such a state can be achieved, for example, in patients who underwent combined pancreas transplantation, our expert notes.

– And in order to achieve a state of compensation for the disease, when patients still require the introduction of insulin from the outside, it is enough to correctly calculate the dose of insulin per meal. Therefore, the main task of the endocrinologist is to teach the patient with diabetes the skills of self-control.

No, you can’t completely heal. But you can adapt. Like, for example, the well-known Sylvester Stallone, who suffers from type 1 diabetes, but at the same time built a breathtaking career and who, for a second, is already 73 years old!

Diagnostics

Type 1 diabetes, unfortunately, cannot be prevented, but can be diagnosed in the early stages of the disease.

The classic symptoms of diabetes are:

• polyuria – frequent urge to urinate does not give rest even in a dream, forcing you to get up several times at night; this condition used to be called sugar diabetes;
• polydipsia – a constant desire to drink (you drink a lot, and after a few minutes you want to again);
• significant weight loss;
• constant weakness, feeling of fatigue, drowsiness.

“With such complaints, it is recommended to contact an endocrinologist who will confirm or refute the alleged diagnosis,” says Dr. Smirnov. – In the case of late diagnosis of diabetes mellitus or untimely access to a doctor, the risk of developing a ketoacidotic state and coma increases. It is not uncommon for patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes to be admitted to the hospital on an ambulance.

The following methods are used to make a diagnosis:

• Assessment of fasting blood glucose levels. Capillary blood is examined – using a glucometer, or venous – laboratory equipment is already involved here.
• Estimation of the level of glycated hemoglobin – make several measurements on different days, and the result will be ready only after a couple of months. Based on the data obtained, the doctor makes a diagnosis. This criterion has been used as a diagnostic criterion since 2011.
• Glucose tolerance test. It is done like this: first, blood is taken on an empty stomach, then a person is given a drink of sweets, after which several more blood samples are taken. And analyze the data.

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