Information on Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes usually takes hold during childhood or early adulthood and is far less common than Type 2 Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is the most serious form of diabetes as the pancreas doesn't produce insulin at all. This renders the individual absolutely dependant on insulin injections, not to mention other aspects they must pay much attention to such as regular exercise, weight control and a strict diet which controls carbohydrate intake.

The cause of Type 1 Diabetes is some form of pancreatic damage. This could be due to many reasons such as accidents resulting in severe trauma, severe infection, or more often than not a malfunction in our antibodies.

Antibodies are our bodies natural defence system which fights off infection. Sometimes, for various reasons, our antibodies malfunction and can attack a healthy body. In most people with Type 1 Diabetes, the Insulin producing cells of the pancreas have mistakenly been attacked by these antibodies and have been destroyed so they no longer work.

The problem with people who are Type 1 Diabetics is they must be extremely careful in what they eat and how they exercise as things can quite rapidly become a life and death situation. For instance, if a Type 1 Diabetes sufferer takes their Insulin injection, and then eats the wrong thing, the insulin deficit simply cannot be made up by their body, thus they require another injection – and if they cannot take another injection for whatever reason, they can find themselves in a lot of trouble. This is why it is vitally important for diabetics to be responsible and take their insulin kits with them.

Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes can be:

• Fatigue
• Muscular cramp
• Increased thirst
• Increased appetite
• Unexplainable weight loss
• Increased urination
• Genital irritation (Thrush)

If you are feeling any of these symptoms quite frequently you should arrange to see your G.P. to be checked out for diabetes

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