What is TYPE 1 DIABETES

Diabetes is a kind of disease that have an effect on how the body make use of GLUCOSE (a major type of sugar that is always present in the blood). Glucose exists in most of the food we eat, and it is the main source of energy our body needs to function properly.

Each meal you eat or any drink you take, your body breaks down the foods or drinks into glucose and other nutrients, which are absorbed into the bloodstreams from the gastrointestinal tract. 

During digestion of the food, the glucose level in your blood will rise, these rise will then alert the pancreas to provide insulin and release it into the bloodstream. but in people that have diabetes, their body cannot make insulin at all (type 1), or the body don't response properly to the insulin produce(type 2).

What is type 1 diabetes

There are three main types of diabetes.

i. Type 1 diabetes
ii. Type 2 diabetes
iii. Gestational diabetes

These 3 types of diabetes causes blood sugar levels to become higher than normal, but they made it so in different ways

Type 1 diabetes (which is formerly called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes ) occur after the pancreas is not able to make hormone insulin. In type 1 diabetes, the person's own IMMUNE SYSTEM(the body defensive guard against incoming disease or infection) starts attacking and destroying the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. As soon as those cells get destroyed, they will never make insulin again.

Although, even as the time of writing this article, no one knows exactly why this happens. Researchers thinks it is related to genetics, like it is hereditary, but the genesis of the type 1 diabetes is still yet unknown.

Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, and there is no skills out there that determine who will get type 1 diabetes. There is nothing the child that have type 1 diabetes or even the parent of the child did that causes the disease.

If you have type 1 diabetes, then you need a life-long treatment for the rest of your entire life, because type 1 diabetes does not go away. Children with type 1 diabetes will have to live on daily INSULIN INJECTION or an INSULIN PUMP to control their blood glucose levels.

Type 2 diabetes(formerly known as non insulin dependent diabetes or adult onset diabetes) is a bit different from type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occur when the body fails to response to insulin properly. Unlike people that have type 1 diabetes, most people with type 2 diabetes can still produce insulin but its too little and not enough to meet up with what their body needs.

Signs and symptoms of type one diabetes

A person can have type one diabetes without even knowing it, because the symptoms are not always easily noticed and they can take a long time to develop. Type one diabetes may show up slowly or suddenly.

Parent of a child with typical symptoms of type 1 diabetes or childhood onset diabetes may notice some signs like their child:

* Urinating frequently:  the kidneys respond to high levels of glucose in the bloodstream by releasing out the extra glucose in urine. A child with diabetes will urinate(pee) a lot more than normal.

* Gets thirsty in an abnormal manner:  Because the child is losing so much fluid from urinating(peeing) so much, he or she becomes very thirsty and always drink water or other liquid substance so as to avoid becoming dehydrated.

* Loses weight (or fail to gain weight as he or she grows):  in spite of good feeding. Child with type 1 diabetes may have an increased appetite but often lose weight. This is because the body breaks down muscles and stored fat in an attempt to provide fuel to the hungry cells. the fat is then release together with the urine out of the body.

* often feels tired:  because the body can't use glucose for energy properly therefore, he or she becomes tired all the time with so much pain all over the body.But in some case, other symptoms may be the signal that something is wrong. Sometimes the first signal of diabetes is if a child is bed wetting. The possibility of diabetes should also be suspected if a vaginal yeast infection occur in a girl who hasn't yet started puberty.

If all these early symptoms of diabetes are not recognised and treatment is not induced, chemicals called ketone can build up in the child's blood and cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, unpleasant breathing smell and loss of consciousness(diabetic coma). Sometimes these symptoms are mistaken for flu. It is called diabetic ketoacidosis coma or DKA.

In addition to short term problem like those listed above, diabetes can also cause long term complications in some people, including heart disease, stroke, blurred eye(black spot on sight) not seeing clearly, and kidney damage.

Diabetes can also cause other problem through out the body in the blood vessel, nerves, and gum. These problems don't usually show up in children(under the age of 30 years) with type 1 diabetes who have had the disease for only a few years. However, they can occur in adulthood in some people with diabetes, particularly those who haven't managed or controlled their diabetes properly.

The good news here is that proper treatment had been created to stop and also control these diabetes symptoms and reduce the risk of long term problem. The Doctor may run a certain test by obtaining a sample of a blood to test it for glucose. As a parent, if you feel that your child has the symptoms of type 1 diabetes, please talk to your DOCTOR.

 If your child had been diagnosed of type 1 diabetes, suspected or confirmed, the doctor mat refer your child to a pediatric endocrinologist. A pediatric endocrinologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of children with disease of the endocrine system, such as diabetes and growth disorder.

 Coping Everyday With Type 1 Diabetes

Children with type 1 diabetes needs to monitor and control their glucose level.

THEY NEED TO:

1.  Check their blood sugar levels from time to time by testing a small blood sample.

2.  Inject themselves with insulin shot if needed after the blood testing.

3. Eat a well balanced, healthy diet and pay a close attention to the amounts of sugar and starches in the food they eat and the timing of their meals.

4.  Exercise regular to help control their blood sugar levels and help avoid some of the long term health problems that diabetes can cause, like heart disease and kidney failure.

5.  Work closely with their doctor and diabetes health care team to help achieve the best possible control of 

their diabetes and be monitored for signs of diabetes, complications and other health problems that occur more frequently in children with type type one diabetes.

Coping with Type 1 diabetes is such a challenge, no matter the age of the child, but the children often have special issues to deal with. Dome kids may not understanding why the blood sample and insulin injections are so important and necessary, they may be scared, angry, unwilling, and uncooperative.

Teenagers may feel different from their peers and may want to live a more spontaneous lifestyle than their diabetes allows. Even when they faithfully follow their treatment schedule, teenagers with diabetes may feel frustrated when the natural adolescent body changes during puberty may make their diabetes somewhat harder to control.

Having a child that have diabetes may seem overwhelming at times, but you are not alone. Your child's diabetes care team is not only a great resources for dealing with blood sugar control and medical issues, but also for supporting and helping you so as to enable your child cope and live with diabetes.

ALRIGHT THEN, so what's new in the treatment of type 1 diabetes

Doctors and researchers work around the clock in developing new equipments and treatments to help children cope with the special problem of growing up with diabetes.

Some kids and teenagers are already using devices that make blood glucose testing and insulin injection easier, less painfully and more effective. One of these is insulin pump, a mechanical device which can be used to deliver insulin more like the pancreas does.

There is also been progress towards the development of a wearable or implantable "Artificial pancreas" this consists of an insulin pump linked to a device that measures the persons blood glucose level continuously.

Doctors and scientist are also investigating a potential cure for diabetes. This involves transplanting insulin- producing cells into the body of a person with diabetes. Researchers are also testing way to stop diabetes before it starts. For example, scientists are studying whether diabetes cab be prevented in those who may have inherited in increased risk for the disease.

POSTSCRIPT

until scientists have perfected ways to better treat and possible even present or cure diabetes, parent can help their kids live happier, have healthy life by giving constant encouragement, seeking more diabetes information, and making sure their children eat properly, exercise, and stays on top of the blood sugar control everyday. Doing so will enable their child's to do all the things that other children do while helping them grow up to be healthy, well adjusted, productive adults.