Type 1 Diabetes
NATHAN Y
When you are sick, there are special cells in your body called the immune system. The immune cells fight off germs and viruses. A diabetic’s immune system has one point in time fought a germ or virus but mistook islet cells, or insulin producing cells, for hostile germs or viruses, thus killing off the islet cells. Insulin is a hormone produced by islet cells that allows glucose to be transmitted to cells for energy. Diabetics often start feeling symptoms of diabetes before the disease fully kicks in gear. Some symptoms include drinking and urinating frequently. When this happens, you should see a doctor. The doctor will test your Blood Glucose (BG), or how much sugar is in your blood. An appropriate amount of sugar is around 70 to 140. If the sugar levels are far above the range, you are rushed to the
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
hospital and given a hormone called insulin, made by islet cells, which are mostly all deceased in your body if you are diabetic. You are pumped with water through IV's to get the bad blood out of your body. At the hospital they teach you about how to manage your diabetes. The doctors explain how to manage this new dilemma in your life. they will explain what you need to do as a diabetic to survive. Type 1 diabetes is genetic, but some people who have this disease have no family history of type 1
Type 1 Diabetes is an Autoimmune Disorder that is Caused by the immune system, or your germ fighting cells, attacking your islet cells, the cells that break down carbohydrates or energy in food and drink. According to JDRF, Type 1 diabetes affects over 1.25 million people in the U.S.A.
Type 1 diabetics use a lot of complicated equipment. When diabetics are first diagnosed they often use an insulin pen. An insulin pen has a vial of insulin in it. You dial how much insulin you want to dispense by turning a dial or entering a numerical value. A vital piece of technology for a diabetic is a meter. A meter is a piece of equipment that measures glucose. This device is often used often during breakfast, lunch, dinner, and during the night. This device is very important to any diabetic’s routine. Another device used by some diabetics is a pump. The pump was developed by Medtronic. A pump automatically dispenses insulin to maintain glucose levels. It has been programmed to have special carb ratios at different times. When you want to eat or drink things with carbohydrates you put your glucose, your carbohydrates, and gives you how much insulin it thinks you should receive which you can edit if needed. Pumps have a variety of features depending on what kind of pump you have. Medtronic's pump has a special feature which comes separately called a sensor. A sensor measures interstitial fluid and estimates glucose levels to eliminate some BG testing. Some diabetics need glasses more than others do. Diabetics are 50% more likely to have glaucoma according to eyeglass guide. Other eye issues and problems diabetics face include cataracts, diabetic retinotherapy, and macular degeneration.
A Diabetic’s Life
When you are a diabetic, life is somewhat different. Being a Type 1 diabetic means that your pancreas, an organ behind your stomach, produces little to no insulin. diabetics often have different schedules than other people. One example would be that you wake up, test your glucose, bolus or inject insulin, eat, test at lunch, bolus or inject insulin for lunch, eat lunch, test before dinner, bolus or inject insulin, eat, go to bed, and test in the night. This is a very general schedule, and most days of a diabetic's life do not end up being this perfect. Most days diabetics have to test their glucose multiple times a day and experience daily troubles such as high or low glucose levels. Life can be harder, but diabetics cannot be limited by their diabetes for other activities to feel "normal". For example, Jay Cutler, a Professional Football Player in the National Football League has Type 1 diabetes. Most diabetics strive to make their diabetes have minimal value. According to kidshealth.org, If you ask a diabetic if they play sports, most do, and many Olympic athletes are Type 1 diabetics. Just like anybody, to most Type 1 diabetics, the sky's the limit.
Type 1 diabetes is so far not cured. Diabetes scientists at JDRF labs have many research ideas for curing diabetes. Some of their major ideas include smart insulin, Diabetes Prevention, Encapsulation, Artificial Pancreas, restoration, and fixing complications of diabetes. Smart insulin, or glucose control, is special insulin that is glucose reacting to level the sugar in the blood. Diabetes prevention is just what it sounds like: preventing Type 1 Diabetes. JDRF is working on this in a vaccine form that stops the immune cells from attacking islet cells. This would also be used to stop a diabetic's immune system from attacking the islet cells if having any left. Encapsulation is an idea where a small implant full of islet cells but shielded from immune system attacks and makes insulin. According to JDRF, diabetics would not have to take insulin for months, possibly years at a time. The Artificial Pancreas is a machine that monitors glucose and gives insulin when needed, but also dispenses glucose to fix low sugar levels, allowing diabetics to sleep through the night according to JDRF. Restoration stops diabetic immune attacks to allow islet cells to live. This would stop diabetes entirely. Stopping diabetic complications allows diabetics not to live in fear of diabetic side effects. this would not cure diabetes, but would stop dangerous hazards that some diabetics face and possibly add to diabetic lifespans. JDRF and many other organizations are working on curing this disease. BIBLIOGRAPHY: "4 Ways to Get Started." Insulin Pump. Medtronic, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2015. "Learning More About: Diabetic Eye Prob lems." Diabetes & Eyesight. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2015. JDRF. "JDRF Research." JDRF JDRF Research Comm ents. JDRF, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2015. Mayo Clinic Staff. "Type 1 Diabetes." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.