What You Should Know About Type I Diabetes

Today, there are a relatively small number of people that have Type I diabetes. Typically, this disease starts in childhood, and continues throughout life. Fortunately, if you are an adult, it is not probable that you will develop this condition. That said, if you wind up with severe damage to your pancreas, you may wind up unable to produce insulin.

Insulin and Type I Diabetes

As you may be aware, Type I diabetics are unable to produce insulin. On the other hand, almost everything you eat will eventually turn into glucose. For example, starch gets broken down into glucose within just a few hours. Even if fats and lipids get stored in your body, eventually they will be broken down and turned into glucose.

In general, Type I diabetics must always be careful about balancing insulin and carbohydrate digestion rates. Among other things, taking too much insulin will cause blood sugar levels to go too low. This can lead to heart failure and death. Under these circumstances, the liver simply cannot convert fat into sugar fast enough to sustain life functions.

When someone with Type I diabetes does not take enough insulin, their blood sugar levels will go too high. If blood sugar levels go over 300, the liver will actually kick in and start dumping more sugar into the blood. During this process, toxins, known as ketones will be released. As the situation gets worse, the person will lapse into a coma. As may be expected, if blood sugar levels start approaching this level, it is absolutely necessary to get to an emergency room as quickly as possible.

Coping With Type I Diabetes

There is no question that managing Type I diabetes is more complicated that dealing with Type II. Among other things, you will have to monitor, and account for fat intake as well as carbohydrates. If you do not guess correctly when it comes to insulin dosing, you may wind up with all kinds of problems. While the trial and error process is unavoidable, careful monitoring can still help you remain healthy and alive.

The Future of Type I Diabetes Research

Modern researchers are looking into a number of treatments that may cure Type I diabetes. This includes using pancreatic stem cells to replace ones that are missing or damaged. While this research is still in its early stages, it holds a great deal of promise to people suffering from this disease. You will also find that researchers are developing new kinds of insulin. This includes ones that can be inhaled instead of injected.

Even though Type I diabetes is less common that Type II, it is a life threatening disease. If you, or a family member have this disease, you should make sure that you follow the advice of your doctor. No matter how frustrated you get with monitoring blood sugar levels, and managing insulin injections, you can still live a normal life. On the other hand, if you cannot pay attention to these details, it can easily leave you crippled or dead.

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