Type 1 diabetes. Symptoms

Type 1 diabetes usually develops at a young age, but it also happens in mature people. The disease is characterized by the fact that in the body, for unknown reasons until the end, β-cells of the pancreas that are responsible for the production of insulin begin to degenerate. As a result of deficiency or absence of insulin, the metabolism, first of all, carbohydrate is disrupted. The synthesis of fats and proteins decreases with an increase in blood glucose levels.

When all β-cells are completely destroyed and insulin production ceases, symptoms of the disease appear . Type 1 diabetes, which is a chronic disease, requires a daily lifelong insulin injection. Injections of this hormone are the only way to combat the disease to date.

Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes

The rapid development of the disease is what distinguishes type 1 diabetes. Symptoms that appear in the first place - a strong thirst, dry mouth, profuse and frequent urination, weakness, fast fatigue, a sharp weight loss with high appetite.

If you do not start taking insulin on time, diabetic ketoacidosis begins - an acute condition characterized by general weakness, fasting and shortness of breath, muscle pain, tachycardia, headache, lowering of pressure, the appearance of acetone odor, abdominal pain, vomiting. If this condition is not eliminated, a diabetic coma sets in , the signs of which are: noisy breathing, increased vomiting, dry mucous and skin, diabetic blush, decreased muscle tone, hypotension, loss of consciousness. From the very first symptoms of the disease to the coma, it can take from 2 weeks to several months. It happens that ketoacidosis and coma develop rapidly against a backdrop of severe stress, infections, surgeries, injuries.

In some cases, type 1 diabetes is not too violent, and its main symptoms, such as thirst and weight loss, are not so clearly expressed. Patients, as a rule, complain of fatigue, malaise, skin itching and violation of sexual function.

The rate of β-cell death in all patients is different. Especially rapidly develops type 1 diabetes in children. In mature people, the process can go slower, and the residual insulin production persists for a long time.

Type 1 diabetes is dangerous because of its complications caused by vascular disorders. Most often, with diabetes develops blindness, kidney disorders, foot disease, leading to amputation.

Causes of Type 1 Diabetes

There is such opinion among the inhabitants that diabetes arises from the abuse of sweets, which is not true.

The cause of type 1 diabetes is the cessation of insulin production due to the destruction by the immune system of cells that synthesize it. The exact reason why the immune system perceives β-cells as foreign and produces antibodies that destroy them is not yet established.

It is assumed that the autoimmune process of cell destruction begins under the influence of external factors, such as stress or viral infections: measles, rubella, chickenpox, parotitis. In this case, there is a genetic predisposition. As a rule, in all patients with type 1 diabetes, there is a relative suffering from this disease.

Treatment of type 1 diabetes

Once the patient has learned about his diagnosis, he must immediately begin to administer insulin. Thanks to properly organized and timely started insulin therapy, many patients manage to improve their condition, keep the disease under control, prevent or delay the onset of complications and lead a normal lifestyle.

Diet and exercise are a supplement to insulin therapy. With substitution therapy, when the body receives insulin in the right amount, special restrictions in nutrition are not required. Physical exercises and sports in diabetes are not only not contraindicated, but also necessary, most importantly, correctly calculate the load and exclude such sports as scuba diving, mountaineering, parachute jumping, windsurfing, weightlifting.