Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults.  It is also known as juvenile diabetes.  When a person has type 1 diabetes, their pancreas is unable to produce insulin.  Insulin is a hormone which is necessary to turn glucose (sugar), starch, and other foods into energy needed for daily life. 
It may be scary when a person is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, however, these people live long and healthy lives.

Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin dependant diabetes is often seen in children and young adults.  It usually begins in people who are less than thirty years old.  Although it occurs early in life, it is a life long disease.
When the body does not produce enough insulin, there are certain effects that has to the body.  If there is no insulin at all or not enough insulin being produced, there is no way for the glucose in the blood to be turned into energy.  All of this glucose is left in the blood.  This can cause increased hunger.  Also, the high levels of glucose in the body can cause excessive urination.  This can lead to increased thirst. 
Within five to ten years, the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas are completely destroyed.  When this happens, the body is no longer able to produce any insulin at all.  When a person develops diabetes they will also notice marked fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.  A person who has developed type 1 diabetes will notice weight loss even though they are eating more than ususal.  When a girl or young woman develops diabetes, one symptom is the absence of menstruation.  This is a disease where the symptoms are very severe and usually come on very rapidly.

Diagnosing Type 1 Diabetes
There are several tests which doctors use to diagnose type 1 diabetes.  It is very important to have these tests done when a person thinks that they may have diabetes.
One test which is done is a urinalysis.  A urinalysis will show glucose and ketone bodies in the urine.  This is the way of detecting diabetes but it will take a blood test to actually diagnose it.
Another test which can be performed to diagnose type 1 diabetes is a fasting blood glucose.  This test will measure the amount of glucose in the blood stream.  When a person is having a fasting blood glucose test, it is necessary for them to fast for at least six hours. 
Levels of a glucose tolerance test of up to 100 mg/dl is considered normal.  If a person’s levels are between 100 mg/dl to 125 mg/dl it is considered pre-diabetes.  These levels are a risk of type 2 diabetes.  Anything of 126 mg/dl or higher is considered type 1 diabetes. 
Another test used for a person with type 1 diabetes is a random non-fasting glucose test. This test is not used to determine if a person has diabetes, it is a test to determine if a diabetic is in need of any type of medication.  This test can be done on a portable machine.  This is a self test for a person with diabetes. 
If this test is taken before a meal, the normal levels are between 90 and 130 mg/dl.  If it is taken after a meal, levels below 180 mg/dl are normal. 

Type 1 Diabetes Treatment
It is not possible to have type 1 diabetes and not get treatment.  Anyone who tried to go without treatment would not survive.  Eventually, without treatment, any of the secondary conditions could develop.
The primary treatment for type 1 diabetes is insulin injections.  These injections are necessary in breaking down glucose in the blood stream.  Insulin injections are given in the skin, injected into the fat.
Insulin can be given only as an injection.  If it were given as a pill, the insulin would be destroyed by the stomach acids.  Insulin is just a hormone, and like all other hormones, insulin is a protein.  Even if insulin were to make it into the stomach, the pancreatic juices would destroy it before it could be of any use.
Although doctors and scientists are looking for ways to administer insulin that are more simple than injections, they still have yet to find one.  Right now insulin pumps are being developed and tested.  As things stand right now however, insulin injections are the only way to go.
Another way to control type 1 diabetes is through diet.  Diet is very important when it comes to diabetes control.  The American Diabetes Association has outlined a diet plan which is set to control diabetes.  It is suggested that a person with type 1 diabetes should make about fifty to sixty percent of your diet carbohydrates.  Around twenty percent of a diabetic’s diet should be protein.  It is imperative that no more than twenty to thirty percent of a diabetic’s diet be sugars and starches.  More than the recommended amount of sugar and starch can cause a secondary diabetic condition.

Knowing as much as possible if you have a diabetic condition is important.  It is the best way of controlling your diabetes.