Type 1 diabetes mellitus – causes, symptoms, diet, treatment

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Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease in which cells of the immune system attack the cells in the pancreas. Therefore, it is classified as an autoimmune disease. By attacking a healthy pancreas, the body is unable to produce the hormone insulin itself, which is needed to metabolize sugars in the body. For this reason, type 1 diabetes has an excessively high level of glucose in the blood, or hyperglycaemia. How to recognize this disease and how to treat type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes mellitus – characteristics

Type 1 diabetes is a consequence of the autoimmune process, i.e. the spontaneous destruction of the body’s cells. This process completely destroys the islet beta cells that produce insulin. As a consequence, the pancreas loses its ability to produce insulin.

Therefore, when treating type 1 diabetes mellitus, it is necessary to administer insulin by injection under the skin or by means of an insulin pump.

Type 1 diabetes – how is it different from type 2 diabetes?

Diabetes can take many forms. The main difference between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes is the inability of the pancreas to secrete insulin. Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance. In this process, the pancreas produces insulin, but being overweight and fatty tissue prevent it from using it properly.

1. Check: Not two, but five types of diabetes. Scientists propose a new classification

Type 1 diabetes mellitus – life expectancy with the disease

People with type 1 diabetes are often concerned about their health. However, it is worth emphasizing that properly diagnosed and well-treated type 1 diabetes allows for a long life in a good condition. The condition is control and compliance with the doctor’s recommendations, which allows you to lead a much healthier lifestyle than many healthy people.

In order to live long with type 1 diabetes, it is necessary to involve the patient in treatment. This has a huge impact on the course of the disease.

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Type 1 diabetes – symptoms

Type 1 diabetes develops symptoms very early in life. The peak incidence is between the ages of 10 and 12, and then between the ages of 16 and 19, but the first symptoms may appear up to the age of 30.

Although there is also a form of type 1 diabetes called LADAwhich manifests itself only at the age of 40-50, and even after the age of 70. However, type 1 diabetes is most often referred to in the context of adolescents, because at this age it occurs in by far the largest group of patients.

Diagnostics for diabetes is essential at the very first symptoms, as neglecting disease symptoms or improper treatment can lead to serious health consequences and even death.

Type 1 diabetes can have a variety of symptoms, but the most common are:

1. chronic fatigue and drowsiness,
2. lack of appetite
3. excessive thirst
4. sudden weight loss, including muscle mass,
5. frequent urination,
6. cold fingers, even at high temperatures
7.  feeling of dry mouth;
8. dry skin and mucous membranes;
9. the smell of acetone from the mouth;
10. blurred vision;
11. frequent intimate infections.

Keep in mind that the disease progresses usually fairly quickly, which means that these symptoms may be acute. It may turn out that people with type 1 diabetes must initially be hospitalized to correct their glucose levels. Only when this happens, and the patient has been instructed on how to deal with the disease, can he or she be discharged home. However, let us remember that treatment of type 1 diabetes is more demanding on the patient than treatment of type 2 diabetes.

It is also worth noting that the initial symptoms of type 1 diabetes are often unnoticeable. It happens that elevated blood sugar levels are only detected during check-ups. For type 1 diabetes, it is usually above 200 mg / dL.

For these blood glucose values, your doctor will test your urine for glucose and ketones in a blood test. These compounds are not normally present in the urine and therefore allow a definitive diagnosis to be made in type 1 diabetes.

If the blood sugar level is too high, it is worth drinking an infusion of appropriate herbs regularly. Try Sugar – a blend of herbs that regulates glucose levels.

In the diagnosis of diabetes, it is very important to perform basic tests when we notice the above symptoms. Underestimating them delays the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and can lead to life-threatening ketoacidosis.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus – causes

Unfortunately, patients have no influence on the appearance of the disease, but only on its subsequent course and treatment. Type 1 diabetes is caused by a malfunctioning of the immune system. Instead of protecting the body, it signals to act against healthy pancreatic cells, which in turn are destroyed. This is why the pancreas produces trace amounts of insulin, or no insulin at all. This leads to disorders throughout the body.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes do not appear until as much as 90% of it is destroyed. cells responsible for the production of insulin. There is still uncertainty about the development of type 1 diabetes, genetic and environmental factors. It is certain that you can inherit a certain predisposition to diabetes, but genes responsible for tissue compatibility may be of great importance.

Doctors also suspect that viral infections, such as rubella, may modify cell surface antigens, that the immune system perceives them as foreign and begins to produce antibodies. Other possible risk factors that may increase your tendency to develop type 1 diabetes include:

1. childbirth over 40 years of age;
2. early introduction of gluten into the diet;
3. stress factors;
4. exposure to toxins;
5. vitamin D deficiency

Check it out: You can live actively with diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus – autoimmune disease

Diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease. When an abnormal immune response occurs, the immune system is activated and the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin are destroyed. The autoimmune mechanism is responsible for the development of other diseases as well, such as autoimmune thyroiditis, adrenal insufficiency, vitiligo, celiac disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and many others.

Keep in mind that some of these diseases can also appear in people with type 1 diabetes. This condition is known as polyutoimmune syndrome.

It is therefore important that the diabetologist also controls other parameters in order to diagnose other autoimmune diseases in time.

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Type 1 diabetes mellitus – inheritance

People with type 1 diabetes often fear that they may pass the disease on to their children. Risk of inheriting type 1 diabetes totals:

1. about 2% when the child’s mother has diabetes;
2. about 13% when the mother was diagnosed with diabetes before the age of 8;
3. about 6 percent children will develop diabetes before the age of 20, when the father has diabetes;
4. about 30% when both parents have type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus – diet

Diet is very important in treating diabetes because you need to control your glucose levels. Diet in type 1 diabetes is based on controlling the amount and caloric value of each ingredient, but it is also important to adjust carbohydrates to the insulin taken.

Unfortunately, it is not enough to count calories on your own and eat low-calorie foods. Most often, a diet for type 1 diabetics is prepared by a diabetic and a dietitian, and then continued independently.

The diabetic diet can be supplemented by drinking herbal teas that have a beneficial effect on the body and the use of dietary supplements. Medonet Market offers, among others, A kit for diabetics, which includes:

1. ecological tea recommended for diabetes,
2. dietary supplement for diabetics in capsules,
3. white mulberry leaf tea.

Check it out: Diabetes – how to protect yourself against it?

Type 1 diabetes mellitus – treatment

Type 1 diabetes is not hereditary, but a predisposition to it may be inherited. Unfortunately, there are no preventive measures yet, but it is important to take care of the body’s immunity and a proper diet so that the body remains healthy. In the treatment of type 1 diabetes, it is important to control blood glucose levels and keep them at an appropriate level. You also need insulin because your body does not produce enough insulin on its own. Unfortunately, it is an incurable disease and the patient will have to stay on a diet and take insulin for the rest of his life.

Currently, intensive functional insulin therapy is considered to be the most effective, which mimics the action of the pancreas in a healthy person. This means giving small amounts of insulin around the clock to keep glucose at the right level.

The person with diabetes thinks behind their pancreas and determines the dose of insulin to be administered. The amount of the basal dose for insulin is determined by the doctor. This is the dose that works throughout the day. The patient has to decide for himself about the amount of insulin dose administered around the planned meal. It all depends on what he plans to eat.

Insulin is administered throughout the day via a continuous subcutaneous infusion via a personal insulin pump.

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Type 1 diabetes mellitus – prophylaxis

There are currently no screening tests to find people who are predisposed to developing type 1 diabetes. A genetic profile can be detected with expensive genetic tests, but even these tests cannot be certain that a person will develop the disease in the future.

Scientists are currently researching how to stop the destruction of beta cells and their partial regeneration. However, we still have to wait for their results. However, it should be remembered that environmental factors play a huge role in the development of diabetes, therefore the prevention of type 1 diabetes may include, for example:

1. avoiding infection by limiting contact with pathogens;
2. breastfeeding your baby;
3. vitamin D3 supplementation;
4. leading a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet and an adequate level of physical activity.

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Type 1 diabetes mellitus – hospital treatment

When a patient is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, he or she is referred to a hospital. This is to assess your clinical condition and conduct tests so that your doctor can determine if you develop ketoacidosis. If this happens, it is necessary to introduce more intensive treatment. This means that in addition to insulin, large amounts of water will also be given by the intravenous route. Treatment is continued for 1-3 days.

If the patient has not developed ketoacidosis, he is administered subcutaneous insulin immediately after admission to the ward. Your doctor will also recommend drinking plenty of water due to the presence of acetone in your urine.

During their stay, the patient will also receive instructions on how to self-administer insulin and measure blood glucose with a blood glucose meter.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus – education

Education plays a very important role in the treatment of type 1 diabetes. If at the beginning of treatment we go to an internal medicine ward, it is worth going to a specialized center for an educational cycle. Also, be sure to ask for a referral from your GP or your diabetologist.

In addition to knowledge, we also gain new acquaintances with people who struggle with the same problems as us. We will gain a lot of knowledge about the principles of insulin administration, intensive and effective treatment of diabetes and coping with normal life and various special situations, such as pregnancy or other serious illness. Further treatment requires the care of a diabetologist.

By signing up to a diabetes clinic, we will be able to use the help of a diabetologist, educational nurse, dietician, and in some facilities also a psychologist. Type 1 diabetes requires constant broadening of knowledge, because everyday life will require the patient to make many important decisions independently.

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