Type 1 diabetes (sometimes called type 1 "diabetes mellitus") is a disorder that disrupts the way your body uses sugar. All the cells in your body need sugar to work normally. Sugar gets into cells with the help of a hormone called insulin. If there is not enough insulin, or if the body stops responding to insulin, sugar builds up in the blood. That is what happens to people with diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes make little or no insulin.
The symptoms include:
Intense thirst
Being very tired
Urinating often
Losing weight
Blurred vision
Here are some ABCs on Diabetes:
Here are a few things you can do to stay healthy with Diabetes:
"A" stands for "A1C" – A1C is a blood test that shows what your average blood sugar level has been during the last few months. The Normal value for this should be less than 5.7%. Plan to check this at least twice a year to monitor progress.
"B" stands for "blood pressure" – If you have diabetes, controlling your blood pressure is just as important as controlling your blood sugar. High blood pressure puts you at risk for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. Get a blood pressure machine for regular monitoring at home.
"C" stands for "cholesterol" – Cholesterol is a semi solid substance found in the blood. High cholesterol is another factor that increases your risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious problems. This is monitored through a test called the Lipid Panel. The normal value for cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dl. Other related tests are the Low density Lipoprotein and the High density Lipoprotein whose normal values are less than 50 mg/dl and less than 130 mg/dl respecitively. Have this test every year to help you manage your condition well.
Management for type 1 diabetes involves:
Measuring your blood sugar often, to make sure it does not go beyond 10 mmol/dl or below 4 mmol/dl.
Using insulin shots or an insulin pump to keep your blood sugar levels in the right range. (An insulin pump is a device that you wear close to your body. It is connected to a tube that goes under your skin and supplies insulin.)
Exercising regularly and keeping a healthy weight which helps increase insulin sensitivity and metabolisms
Nutrition - Eat a well balanced and diabetic diet through the guidance of a nutritionist. This helps manage the amount of simple sugars you take in
Having high blood sugar can cause serious problems over time. It can lead to:
Nerve damage which makes you feel numbness, uncontrollable muscle twitching muscle weakness
Kidney disease
Vision problems like inability to read fine print (or even blindness). You are advised to have an annual eye check up to manage this
Pain or loss of feeling in the hands and feet
The need to have fingers, toes, or other body parts removed (amputated)
Heart disease and strokes
Having low blood sugar, usually less than 4 mmol/l, can cause problems, too. It can make your heart beat fast, and make you shake and sweat. If blood sugar gets really low, it can cause more serious problems like headaches, excessive sleepiness, pass out, or even have seizures.
Incase of low blood sugar:
You can raise your blood sugar quickly by eating or drinking a simple sugar source, such as a glass of juice, cup of sugar black tea/chocolate, a sweet etc. Tell family and friends what symptoms to look for and what to do if you're not able to treat the condition yourself.
Inform people you trust about hypoglycemia. If others know what symptoms to look for, they might be able to alert you to early symptoms.
Incase of very high blood sugar:
If your Blood sugar is above 10 mmol/dl, it can be due to eating too much, eating a lot of carbohydrates such as white ugali, chapati and rice, not taking enough insulin or fighting an infection in the body. Seek medical help when the sugars consistently maintain values above 10 mmol/l.
Warning signs of high blood sugar are:
Reduced level of consciousness
Blurred vision
Fatigue
Headache
Irritability
If you think you have hyperglycemia, check your blood sugar. Ensure that you take your prescribed medicine if you missed it, as soon as you remember. If it is higher than your target range, you'll likely need to administer a "correction." A correction is an additional dose of insulin given to bring your blood sugar back to normal. Talk to your provider about your accurate correction dose in advance.
Source: Uptodate