Type1 diabetes is a chronic health condition that occurs due to the inability of the pancreas in producing sufficient insulin for controlling the glucose levels in the blood.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to help glucose enter the body cells and used as energy for the cells.

Without insulin, the glucose can’t enter the cells and remains in the blood.

With the increase in the glucose levels, there can be damages to the internal parts of the body. Thus, it is known as insulin-dependent diabetes.Type1 Diabetes

Type1 diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes, as it develops mostly in children and adolescents. However, there is a chance of developing at any age. The other names of type1 diabetes are brittle diabetes, and childhood diabetes.

It is found that, in the United States, one out of every eight hundred have insulin-dependent diabetes. Over 700,000 Americans have type1 diabetes and 5-10% of these are diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes.

Insulin-dependent diabetes is of two kinds: idiopathic type1 diabetes and immune-mediated diabetes.

An immune-mediated diabetes is most common autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system damages the pancreas that generate insulin for controlling glucose levels whereas idiopathic type of insulin-dependent diabetes is a rare type with no cause for its development.

With Type1 diabetes, you may experience extreme hunger and frequent urination, which can lead to increased thirst and in some cases dehydration. You may also develop fatigue, blurred vision, recurrent infections, nausea and sudden change in the weight.

The serious health complications associated with type1 diabetes are

Heart Disease: With type1 diabetes, you are more prone to develop heart diseases including damage to the blood vessels, heart attack, heart stroke, and disease caused by poor blood circulation (high blood pressure).

Kidney Disease: Also known as nephropathy. High glucose levels in the blood can harm the kidneys. This in turn leads to kidney failure and improper functioning in excretion of waste products.

Eye disease: Type 1 diabetes can lead to eye problems. With type1 diabetes, you have very high chances of developing blindness. So, treating the condition in the early stages can keep you away from eye diseases.

Nerve damage: It is also known as diabetic neuropathy. Type1 diabetes damages all the nerves that connect all parts of the body.

Foot Diseases: With type1 diabetes, you are more likely to develop various foot problems. These problems occur mostly due to the nerve damages in the feet. It also occurs with poor blood circulation through your legs and feet.

Skin Problems: It is the most common complication associated with type1 diabetes. You have high risk of developing skin problems with insulin dependent diabetes. Skin disease is the first sign that indicate diabetes.

As all these problems are due to the inability of your body to produce insulin, the treatment for type1 diabetes should target at increasing insulin production to control the glucose levels in the blood.

You can increase insulin in the body through insulin injections. However, consult your doctor for the right amount of insulin to your body.

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