Type 1 diabetes is usually developed inyoung age, but it also happens in mature people. The disease is characterized by the fact that in the body, for unknown reasons until the end, β-cells of the pancreas that are responsible for insulin production begin to degenerate. As a result of deficiency or absence of insulin, the metabolism, first of all, carbohydrate is disrupted. The synthesis of fats and proteins decreases with a rise in blood glucose levels.
When all β-cells are completely destroyed andthe production of insulin stops, symptoms of the disease appear. Type 1 diabetes, which is a chronic disease, requires a daily lifelong insulin injection. Injections of this hormone are the only way to fight the disease today.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes
The rapid development of the disease is what distinguishesType 1 diabetes. Symptoms that appear in the first place - a strong thirst, dry mouth, profuse and frequent urination, weakness, fast fatigue, sudden weight loss with high appetite.
If the symptoms do not starttimely insert insulin, begins diabetic ketoacidosis - an acute condition characterized by general weakness, rapid and difficult breathing, muscle pain, tachycardia, headache, lowering of pressure, the appearance of the smell of acetone, abdominal pain, vomiting. If this condition is not eliminated, a diabetic coma sets in, the signs of which are: noisy breathing, increased vomiting, dry mucous and skin, diabetic blush, decreased muscle tone, hypotension, loss of consciousness. From the earliest symptoms of the disease to the coma, it can take from 2 weeks to several months. It happens that ketoacidosis and coma develop rapidly against a background of severe stress, infections, surgeries, injuries.
In some cases, type 1 diabetes does not occurtoo stormy, and its main signs, such as thirst and weight loss, are not so clearly expressed. Patients, as a rule, complain of fatigue, malaise, skin itching and violation of sexual function.
The rate of β-cell death in all patients is different. Especially rapidly develops type 1 diabetes in children. In mature people, the process can go more slowly, and the residual production of insulin persists for a long time.
Diabetes type 1 is dangerous for its complications, the cause of which are vascular disorders. Most often, with diabetes develops blindness, kidney disorders, foot disease, leading to amputation.
Causes of Type 1 Diabetes
There is such opinion among the inhabitants that diabetes arises from the abuse of sweets, which is not true.
The cause of type 1 diabetes is the cessationthe production of insulin due to destruction of the immune system by cells that synthesize it. The exact reason why the immune system perceives β-cells as foreign and produces antibodies that destroy them is not yet established.
It is assumed that the autoimmune processdestruction of cells begins under the influence of external factors, such as stress or viral infections: measles, rubella, chicken pox, parotitis. In this case, there is a genetic predisposition. As a rule, in all patients with type 1 diabetes, there is a relative suffering from this disease.
Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes
Once the patient has learned about his diagnosis, heshould immediately begin to administer insulin. Thanks to properly organized and timely started insulin therapy, many patients manage to improve their condition, keep the disease under control, prevent or delay the onset of complications and lead a normal lifestyle.
Diet and exercise are a complementto insulin therapy. With substitution therapy, when the body receives insulin in the right amount, there are no special restrictions on nutrition. Physical exercises and sports in diabetes are not only not contraindicated, but also necessary, most importantly, correctly calculate the load and exclude such sports as scuba diving, mountaineering, parachute jumping, windsurfing, weightlifting.
