In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin because the cells which make insulin have been destroyed by the immune system. People with type 1 diabetes therefore require insulin injections to control their blood glucose levels (BGL). Balancing insulin therapy, regular physical activity, stress management and healthy eating are all included in managing type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 accounts for 15% of all people with diabetes and if left untreated, a person can lapse into a life-threatening coma.
Warning signs may include:
- Extreme thirst
- Frequent urination
- Constant hunger
- Blurred vision
- Sudden weight loss
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Infections
- Extreme tiredness
Type 1 diabetes is classified as an autoimmune condition. Other autoimmune conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, a thyroid condition called Hashimoto and Coeliac Disease. An autoimmune condition is where the body’s defence system (called the immune system) is triggered to change the normal function of different areas of the body to abnormal.
In type 1 diabetes, the immune system is trigged by a gene. People are born either with or without the gene. People without the gene will not develop type 1 diabetes. People born with the gene may not develop diabetes.
This gene is thought to have been stimulated by an environmental event and at this point in time the environmental event is thought to be a virus (research is being done to find which virus). Once the gene has been stimulated, it triggers the immune system to attack the cells (and only those cells) of the pancreas that produce insulin, slowly destroying them. The destruction of these cells reaches a critical point when there are not enough cells to produce the insulin needed to control blood glucose levels, people then start to develop the signs and symptoms of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but is more likely to occur in children and younger adults.
Today the standard treatment available for type 1 diabetes is insulin replacement therapy, with either multiple injections of insulin or insulin pump therapy. Part of insulin replacement therapy includes incorporating the lifestyle issues of healthy eating and physical activity. Another possible form of treatment is an islet cell (the cells that produce insulin) transplant. A transplant is not a cure, it is still replacement therapy. This is an individual choice and it means weighing up the pros and cons of insulin therapy against the pros and cons of anti-rejection therapy. The best person to discuss this with is your diabetes specialist. Multiple studies around the world are conducting research the environmental trigger, for the prevention of type 1 diabetes. The ultimate research goal is to find a cure for diabetes.