Diabetes mellitus type 1 – causes, symptoms & therapy

Type 1 diabetes mellitus

In Germany, almost half a million people suffer from type 1 diabetes mellitus . According to current medical knowledge, type 1 of the disease is an autoimmune disease . This is because the body’s own immune system , which is actually supposed to switch off harmful germs, attacks its own body and destroys the cells in the pancreas that are responsible for insulin production .

What is type 1 diabetes mellitus

Unlike type 2 diabetes mellitus , in which the body becomes resistant to its own insulin, in type 1 diabetes mellitus the immune system attacks the cells that produce the body’s insulin. This leads to an insulin deficiency and often to a complete cessation of insulin production.

However, since insulin is a vital hormone that transports the sugar that we ingest with our daily food from the blood into the cells, a lack of insulin leads to a “sugar congestion” in the blood – medically known as increased blood sugar levels known.

causes

Due to an immune system disorder, the pancreas cannot produce insulin. The endogenous hormone insulin serves as the “key” for the entry of glucose into the cell. The result is an increase in blood sugar levels.

The main cause of type 1 diabetes mellitus is usually an autoimmune reaction, in which the immune system attacks the so-called B cells in the pancreas. Without the B cells, however, the sugar doesn’t get to the cells that convert it into energy for the body. This builds up sugar in the blood.

The exact reasons that lead to type 1 diabetes mellitus are still unknown. However, the autoimmune reaction is hereditary and sometimes even breaks out in childhood or adolescence. However, the likelihood of the disease being passed from parents to children is not alarmingly high. Even if both parents are ill, the probability that their children will be ill is “only” about 20 percent high.

When to the doctor?

In contrast to type 2 diabetes mellitus, type 1 is not an acquired form of diabetes (caused, for example, by malnutrition and obesity ), but rather a congenital malfunction of the pancreas. Since diabetes can result in serious comorbidities, treatment always belongs in the hands of a specialist.

In type 1 diabetes mellitus, the pancreas does not produce any insulin at all. However, since this is a vital regulator, the artificial delivery of insulin must be prescribed by a specialist. The reason for this is that both low and high sugar levels can have life-threatening consequences. In addition to the drug setting, the specialist must regularly check whether the diabetes has caused damage to the organism. Self-treatment is therefore strongly discouraged.

However, those affected also bear responsibility for themselves. This means that they are encouraged to live a disciplined life. This applies in particular to the factors of diet and exercise. Regular but not excessive meals and adequate exercise are imperative to keep blood sugar under control. In addition, patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus should regularly check their blood sugar themselves. However, if this fluctuates greatly inexplicably, the specialist must intervene to regulate and clarify the causes. This disease therefore always requires close cooperation with a diabetologist.

symptoms and course

Even if there is a predisposition to an autoimmune reaction, the disease does not necessarily have to break out. Many sufferers live symptom-free for years before the first symptoms of type 1 diabetes mellitus appear. Incidentally, these only appear when a large proportion of the B cells (about 80 percent) have already been destroyed.

Typical symptoms that appear gradually and increase as the insulin deficiency progresses are severe thirst, an increased urge to urinate , noticeable weight loss , exhaustion and dry skin , brittle and itchy skin . With increasing deficiency and rising blood sugar levels, symptoms such as fever , severe malaise , vomiting , visual disturbances and even fainting spells , which can lead to coma, are added.

consequences

  • Diabetic Polyneuropathy

Diagnose

If there is a suspicion that you have type 1 diabetes mellitus due to typical symptoms, you should consult your family doctor immediately to avoid a worse course of the disease. This will get to the bottom of the suspicion through detailed examinations, for example through urine and blood evaluations. The most important clue in the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus is the level of sugar concentration in the blood, which can be found by measuring blood plasma or whole blood.

complications

Acute low blood sugar ( hypoglycemia ) is a common but serious complication of type 1 diabetes. The core feature of low blood sugar is a blood sugar level of less than 60 mg/dl. This guideline applies to adults. Those affected are often pale and tremble. You may have palpitations, tingling sensations, headaches, food cravings, a furry mouth, and weak legs. In addition, they may feel tense, nervous, or afraid. The symptoms arise because the cells in the body starve for energy and can no longer properly carry out their tasks. The usual countermeasures are eating or taking glucose.

Hypoglycaemia can lead to obscuration or loss of consciousness. In extreme cases, the diabetic can fall into a coma or even die. Type 1 diabetics often suffer from an eating disorder . Some of them use their metabolic disorder to compensate for binge eating (see bulimia) or to control their weight in general (anorexia and other eating disorders). This method is very dangerous and can be fatal or cause serious complications. When sufferers exploit their diabetes as part of an bulimia addiction (bulimia), experts speak of diabulimia and insulin purging. Even without deliberate abuse of the disease, type 1 diabetics can be underweight – especially before diagnosis and when the disease is not yet well controlled.

treatment and therapy

Type 1 diabetes mellitus cannot be cured, but it can be treated. In therapy, the lack of insulin has to be compensated for a lifetime – for example by adding artificial insulin to the body. The beginning of therapy is often considered the most difficult period, since the patient has to get acquainted with the new situation. If used incorrectly, the insulin supplied can also lead to a low blood sugar level, which is also harmful and can have drastic consequences.

Incidentally, during the first weeks of treatment or during the ongoing therapy, the attacked B cells sometimes recover (remission phase). However, no case is known to date in which the body has completely recovered and the disease can therefore be called cured. However, the remission phases can fluctuate, which makes regular examinations and adjustments necessary.Type 1 diabetes mellitus is treated for life, but you can often live almost symptom-free and unrestricted for many years. However, in addition to drug treatment, you have to accept a change in diet and a healthy lifestyle. This is the only way to avoid not only the unpleasant symptoms, but also serious secondary diseases and a shortened lifespan.

prevention

Since type 1 diabetes mellitus is a disease that is usually already present in the hereditary disposition, neither the disease nor the outbreak can be counteracted in a targeted manner. Although this can be promoted by a very unhealthy, stressful and burdensome life, the disease can only be diagnosed and treated after an outbreak, which usually makes early detection and therefore a careful lifestyle difficult. Only serious secondary diseases and symptoms can be counteracted by immediately consulting a doctor at the first sign of an illness.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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