Type 1 diabetes usually develops at a young age, but it also occurs in mature people. The disease is characterized by the fact that, for reasons unknown to the end, β-cells of the pancreas responsible for the production of insulin begin to break down. As a result of a deficiency or lack of insulin, the metabolism is disturbed, primarily carbohydrate. The synthesis of fats and proteins decreases with an increase in blood glucose levels.
When all β cells are completely destroyed and insulin production stops, symptoms of the disease appear . Type 1 diabetes, which is a chronic disease, requires daily lifelong administration of insulin. Injections of this hormone are the only way to combat the disease to date.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes
The rapid development of the disease is what distinguishes type 1 diabetes. Symptoms that appear primarily - severe thirst, dry mouth, excessive and frequent urination, weakness, rapid fatigue, sudden weight loss with high appetite.
If you do not start to administer insulin in a timely manner, diabetic ketoacidosis begins - an acute condition characterized by general weakness, rapid and difficult breathing, muscle pain, tachycardia, headache, low blood pressure, the appearance of the smell of acetone, abdominal pain, and vomiting. If this condition is not eliminated, a diabetic coma occurs, the signs of which are: noisy breathing, increased vomiting, dry mucous membranes and skin, diabetic blush, decreased muscle tone, hypotension, loss of consciousness. From the very first symptoms of the disease to a coma, it can take from 2 weeks to several months. It happens that ketoacidosis and coma develop rapidly against the background of severe stress, infections, operations, injuries.
In some cases, type 1 diabetes is not too violent, and its main symptoms, such as thirst and weight loss, are not so pronounced. Patients, as a rule, complain of fatigue, malaise, itchy skin and impaired sexual function.
The rate of death of β-cells in all patients is different. Particularly rapidly developing type 1 diabetes in children. In mature people, the process can go slower, and the residual production of insulin can persist for a long time.
Type 1 diabetes is dangerous for its complications caused by vascular disorders. Most often, diabetes develops blindness, renal impairment, foot disease, leading to amputation.
Causes of Type 1 Diabetes
There is an opinion among the layman that diabetes occurs as a result of the abuse of sweets, which is not true.
The cause of type 1 diabetes is the cessation of insulin production due to the destruction by the immune system of the cells that synthesize it. The exact reason why the immune system perceives β-cells as foreign and produces antibodies that destroy them has not yet been established.
It is assumed that the autoimmune process of cell destruction begins under the influence of external factors, such as stress or viral infections: measles, rubella, chickenpox, and mumps. In this case, the presence of a genetic predisposition is noted. As a rule, all patients with type 1 diabetes have a relative suffering from this disease.
Type 1 diabetes
As soon as the patient finds out about his diagnosis, he should 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 in addition to insulin therapy. With replacement therapy, when the body receives the right amount of insulin, special dietary restrictions are not required. Exercise and sports for diabetes are not only contraindicated, but also necessary, the main thing is to correctly calculate the loads and exclude sports such as scuba diving, mountain climbing, parachuting, windsurfing, weightlifting.