Concerns and Complications of Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes was once called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. This is an incurable disease affecting the endocrine system, in which the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin to convert glucose into energy. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in young children or adolescents, but this condition can develop at a later age as well. This illness needs to be fully understood so the patient and family members can provide appropriate treatment and support. Type1 diabetes has several concerns and complications that may develop if proper treatment is not followed.

Concerns of Type 1 Diabetes

Although there is no agreement on the actual cause of this disease, genetic factors and the exposure to certain viruses seem to play a large part. Since there is no cure for Type 1 diabetes, the patient must learn to handle the effects of this disease on a daily basis. That means monitoring the blood sugar level and taking the correct dose of insulin. If this is not done, the body will start to have adverse reactions. The first sign may be increased thirst and frequent urination because the surplus sugar in the body causes fluid to be pulled away from healthy tissues. There may also be blurred vision since fluid is taken from the lens of the eyes as well. An excessive hunger may be experienced because without the necessary insulin in the body, the muscles and organs lack the energy they need to function. This, in turn, triggers a hunger as the body calls for more food in an attempt to recapture the lost energy. Weight loss may result if the blood sugar isn't regulated and the fat stores in the body are used to supply energy.

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Selected Diabetes Articles

Factors That Trigger Juvenile Diabetes

About 35 children in America are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes every day. For them, childhood will be a time of learning to manage a disease that has no known cure. Entire families are affected by a diagnosis of juvenile diabetes and there has been much research done to try to determine a cause and thereby eliminate this dreaded illness. [Read full article]
 

Components Of An Effective Diabetes Diet

People who suffer from diabetes need to monitor the food that they eat and the fluids that they drink. A diabetes diet can also be recommended for people who do not have diabetes but wish to maintain their weight. A diabetes diet need not be bland and have no excitement. The key to an affective diabetes diet is to make it diverse and exciting to ensure that the person eating enjoys the meal. [Read full article]
 

All About Diabetes Education

With the Internet giving you access to billions of pages of information, it is no wonder that this is the place to go when trying to bring diabetes education into your life or the life of someone you care about. But it doesn't stop there, as must be a need for the information in order to get someone educated on the subject. More and more people must learn that one of the key factors in preventing and treating this illness is through diabetes education. There are so many people walking around with little or no knowledge on the subject matter and it is important for your nation and for our future for us to be more informed. [Read full article]