Type 1 Diabetes
Millions of people around the world live with diabetes or know someone living with diabetes.
The majority have type 2 diabetes, but an important minority have type 1 diabetes (~5%). Contrary to popular belief, type 1 diabetes is not a childhood disease.
It occurs at every age, in people of every race, and of every shape and size. In fact, there are more adults who have type 1 diabetes than children, although it was previously known as juvenile diabetes.
In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin.
The body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat into blood glucose (also called blood sugar), which it uses for energy.
Insulin is a hormone that the body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of the body.
With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, even young children can learn to manage their condition and live long, healthy lives.
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/type-1/?loc=db-slabnav
You’ve just been told you have type 1 diabetes. You’ve just been told your child or a loved one has type 1 diabetes. What now?
At its core, proper type 1 diabetes management is composed of a handful of elements: blood glucose control and insulin management, exercise, nutrition and support.
Medication
A diagnosis of type 1 diabetes means your pancreas is no longer capable of producing insulin. Through multiple daily injections with insulin pens or syringes or an insulin pump, it will be up to you to monitor your blood glucose levels and appropriately administer your insulin. You will need to work closely with your healthcare team to determine which insulin or insulins are best for you and your body.
Exercise
Exercise is also a key component of proper diabetes care. Along with all of the other benefits you will receive from being active, your diabetes will also respond in kind with more stable blood glucose levels. We have plenty of information and tips to help get you motivated and keep your exercise routines fresh.
Nutrition
Nutrition is one of the most important pieces of the diabetes puzzle. Learning how different foods affect your blood glucose and how manage that within your daily routine will be key. Working with a registered dietitian who has expertise in type 1 diabetes to establish a personalized eating plan is a great place to start. This will include a strategy for balancing food, insulin doses, and physical activity. It will be important to revisit your eating plan as your preferences and daily activities change over time. A dietitian can also provide valuable guidance if you need to lose weight.
Emotional support, while not often initially considered, plays a key role in diabetes care. Connecting with other people living with diabetes that understand the daily grind of counting carbohydrates, testing blood glucose multiple times each day and dealing with the various highs and lows (both physical and emotional) of life with diabetes can make all the difference.
Talking with people who “get it” is important.
Living with type 1 diabetes is tough but with proper care can be a footnote in your life’s story. Balancing nutrition, exercise and proper blood glucose management techniques with the rest of your life’s priorities mean anything is possible.
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/recently-diagnosed/living-with-type-1-diabetes.html
Last Reviewed: February 9, 2015
Last Edited: October 9, 2018
For Parents & Kids
Diabetes is a disease that affects the whole family, especially when a child is diagnosed. Whether you’re a parent, sibling or other family member, your support and understanding can make all the difference. Are you worried about medical care and costs, or how to manage diabetes at school? We provide information and resources to help every child and every family adjust to life with diabetes.
Damage to beta cells from type 1 diabetes throws the process off. Glucose doesn’t move into your cells because insulin isn’t there to do it. Instead it builds up in your blood and your cells starve. This causes high blood sugar, which can lead to:
Dehydration. When there’s extra sugar in your blood, you pee more. That’s your body’s way of getting rid of it. A large amount of water goes out with that urine, causing your body to dry out.
Weight loss. The glucose that goes out when you pee takes calories with it. That’s why many people with high blood sugar lose weight. Dehydration also plays a part.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). If your body can’t get enough glucose for fuel, it breaks down fat cells instead. This creates chemicals called ketones. Your liver releases the sugar it stores to help out. But your body can’t use it without insulin, so it builds up in your blood, along with the acidic ketones. This combination of extra glucose, dehydration, and acid buildup is known as “ketoacidosis” and can be life-threatening if not treated right away.
Damage to your body. Over time, high glucose levels in your blood can harm the nerves and small blood vessels in your eyes, kidneys, and heart. They can also make you more likely to get hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-1-diabetes#1
If you have type 1 diabetes, you might wonder if your child would get it, too. Or if one of your parents has it, what it means for you.
Your genes definitely play a role in type 1, a less common form of diabetes that’s often diagnosed in children and young adults. But they’re not the whole story. Like much in life, it’s a mix of nature and nurture.
Your environment, from where you grow up to the foods you eat, also matters. Researchers don’t know exactly how — and how much — all those things affect your chances of getting the disease. Your genes set the stage, but you can’t be certain how it’ll all play out.
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