type 1 diabetes diet
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Home Disease Index Diabetes Type 1 diabetes

 


Overview

Causes
Symptoms
Risk Factor

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Overview

 

The pancreas lies at the back of the abdomen and has two main functions:

  • to produce a juice that flows into the digestive system to help us digest food
  • to produce the hormone called insulin.

Insulin is the key hormone that controls the flow of glucose (sugar) in and out of the cells of the body.

Type 1 diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin output because of damage to the pancreas gland.

Damage to the pancreas can occur for a many reasons, eg a viral infection. But the most common cause in Type 1 diabetes is the body’s own immune system.

Insulin-producing cells in the pancreas of people with Type 1 diabetes are destroyed by cells that normally defend us from invading organisms.

Auto-immune diseases

There are other auto-immune diseases, for example of the thyroid gland.

They are more frequent in people who have Type 1 diabetes.

This may reflect an inherited tendency to developing auto-immune disease that is triggered by some other factor in the environment.

Exactly what that trigger can be is still unclear, but there is some evidence to suggest that a virus infection could start the process off.




Causes

 

What are the cause of Type 1 diabetes?

Diabetes is a life-long disease for which there is not yet a cure. There are several forms of diabetes, including:

  • Type 1 diabetes, often called juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes, often called adult or non-insulin-dependent diabetes
  • Gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy.

For all types of diabetes, the metabolism of carbohydrates (including sugars such as glucose), proteins, and fats is altered.

In type 1 diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas produce little or no insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to enter body cells. Once glucose enters a cell, it is used as fuel.

Without adequate insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream instead of going into the cells. The body is unable to use this glucose for energy despite high levels in the bloodstream, leading to increased hunger. In addition, the high levels of glucose in the blood causes the patient to urinate more, which in turn causes excessive thirst. Within 5 to 10 years after diagnosis, the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas are completely destroyed, and no more insulin is produced.

 



Symptoms

 

Glucose is one of the key fuels used by the cells of the body for its energy needs.

The brain and nervous system use only glucose, while most other cells can also utilise fat for energy.

As a result of the lack of insulin output in Type 1 diabetes, the blood sugar level climbs and glucose starts to appear in urine.

Because glucose use becomes very inefficient, a person with untreated Type 1 diabetes develops symptoms such as:

A family history of diabetes makes it more likely that you will get diabetes too. Type 1 diabetes is much less common than Type 2 diabetes.



Risk Factors

 

EMERGENCY COMPLICATIONS:

  • DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS
    In a person with
    type 1 diabetes, the body will use fat as a fuel if insulin is not present. The by-products of fat metabolism are ketones. Ketones build up in the blood and "spill" over into the urine.
    A condition called ketoacidosis develops when the blood is made acidic by the ketones.
  • HYPOGLYCEMIA
    Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) occurs when the balance between insulin, food intake, and exercise is disturbed. Symptoms of mild
    hypoglycemia include hunger, nervousness, and fast heart rate. More serious hypoglycemia can lead to confusion and even loss of consciousness. Loss of consciousness due to low blood sugar is called hypoglycemic coma.

LONG-TERM COMPLICATIONS:

People who have had diabetes for several years are likely to develop long-term complications, which can be minimized but not entirely eliminated by proper diabetic management:

  • VASCULAR DISEASE
    By age 55, about 35% of men and women with
    type 1 diabetes have died from a heart attack compared to 8% of nondiabetic men and 4% of nondiabetic women.
    People with type 1 diabetes are also at higher risk to develop blockages in the major
    arteries of the legs than nondiabetics. Lower the risk of vascular disease by aggressively treating cholesterol and blood pressure, exercising regularly, and avoiding or quitting tobacco products.
  • MICROVASCULAR DISEASE
    Microvascular (small vessel) changes occur in capillaries of every organ of the body. There is a thickening of the wall of the small blood vessels. These changes are responsible for many of the diabetes complications.
  • EYE COMPLICATIONS
    Changes in the small blood vessels of the retina (also known as diabetic retinopathy) predispose the diabetic to several eye disorders. After 15 years of diabetes, 80% of diabetics will have some
    diabetic retinopathy.
    If bleeding and scarring has developed, a retinal detachment may occur, causing blindness. Vascular changes in the iris may cause obstruction of the flow of ocular fluid and cause glaucoma.
    Diabetics are also more likely than nondiabetics to develop cataracts.
  • DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY (kidney disease)
    Kidney abnormalities may be noted early in the disease. Poorly controlled diabetes may accelerate the development of kidney failure. Urinary tract infections in
    diabetics tend to be more severe and may result in kidney damage.
    Diabetics are more vulnerable to kidney damage from high blood pressure than nondiabetics.
  • DIABETIC NEUROPATHY(nerve damage)
    People with diabetes may develop temporary or permanent damage to nerve tissue. Diabetic neuropathy is more likely to develop if
    blood glucose is poorly controlled. Some diabetics will not develop neuropathy, while others may develop this condition relatively early.
    On average, symptoms such as numbness and tingling occur 10 to 20 years after diabetes has been diagnosed.
  • DIABETIC FOOT PROBLEMS
    The feet of people with diabetes are very susceptible to infection and injury. Many diabetes-related hospital admissions are for foot problems, and a significant number of non-accident-related leg amputations are performed on
    diabetics.
    Several
    foot problems are common in people with diabetes, including skin changes (loss of hair; loss of ability to sweat; and dry, cracked skin), arterial insufficiency (impaired blood supply to feet), neuropathy, and specific foot deformities (hallux valgus, bunion, hammertoe, and calluses).
  • SKIN AND MUCUS MEMBRANE PROBLEMS
    People with diabetes are more likely than nondiabetics to develop infections. Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) predisposes diabetics to fungal infections of the skin, nails, and female genital tract and to urinary tract infection.
     
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