Monday 11 June 2018

Diabetes awareness week ‘18: What is Type 1

What is Type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. For reasons we don’t yet fully understand, your immune system – which is meant to protect you from viruses and bacteria – attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas, called beta cells.
Insulin is crucial to life. When you eat, insulin moves the energy from your food, called glucose, from your blood into the cells of your body. When the beta cells in your pancreas fail to produce insulin, glucose levels in your blood start to rise and your body can’t function properly. Over time this high level of glucose in the blood may damage nerves and blood vessels and the organs they supply.
This condition affects 400,000 people in the UK, with over 29,000 of them children. Incidence is increasing by about four per cent each year and particularly in children under five, with a five per cent increase each year in this age group over the last 20 years.
What causes it?
More than 50 genes have been identified that can increase a person’s risk of developing type 1 diabetes, but genes are only part of the cause. Scientists are also currently investigating what environmental factors play a role.
What is known is that:
  • Destruction of insulin-producing beta cells is due to damage inflicted by your immune system
  • Something triggered your immune system to attack your beta cells
  • Certain genes put people at a greater risk of developing type 1 diabetes, but are not the only factors involved
  • While there are no proven environmental triggers, researchers are looking for possible culprits, such as viral infections and particular molecules within our environment and foods.

Other facts...
  • It is NOT caused by eating too many sweets.
  • There is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ type.
  • Yes, it is for life, it won’t go away.
  • There was nothing we could do to prevent it from happening.
  • Insulin is not a ‘cure’ it is ‘life support’.
  • Type 1 diabetes is a serious life threatening condition.
  • Every item of food eaten has to be carb counted.
  • Type 1 diabetes never sleeps.

1 comment:

  1. Wait it isn't caused by eating to many sweets? Wow can I take this back to my 6th grade teacher and make him understand that my mom was not addicted to candy and coke? I tell you when stupidity meets innocence issues do occur.

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