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| Type 1 Diabetes |  Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's own immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.
As a rule, the body's immune system struggle with foreign invaders such as viruses or bacteria. But for unknown reasons, in people with type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys various cells in the body. This leads to the complete deficiency of the insulin hormone.
This type of diabetes is rarer than type 2 diabetes. It typically affects younger people. Type 1 diabetes usually develops before age 40 although there are exceptions.
Understanding Insulin
Normally the hormone insulin is produced by the pancreas in low amounts. When you eat, glucose from food encourages the pancreas to produce insulin. Produced insulin amount is proportional to the amount that is required by the size of the particular meal.
The main role of insulin is to help supply certain nutrients (especially glucose) to the cells of the body's tissues. Sugars and other nutrients from meals are the main fuel to cells function.
When glucose enters the cells the amount of sugar in the blood decreases. Normally that gives a signal to the pancreas to reduce the amount of insulin produced so that you don't develop low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia). But the destruction of the beta cells that occurs with type 1 diabetes throws the entire process into confusion.
In people with type 1 diabetes, glucose isn't transmitted to the cells because insulin is not available. When glucose accumulated in the blood instead of going into cells, the body's cells starve for nutrients and other systems in the body must provide energy for many important bodily functions. As a result, high blood glucose develops and can cause:
- Weight loss. The absence of the sugar in the urine signifies a lack of calories that provide energy, that’s why many people with high sugar levels lose weight.
- Dehydration. The accumulation of sugar in the blood can cause frequent urination. In such way human body tries to clear itself from the sugar. A large amount of water is lost during urination, causing dehydration.
- Damage to the body. With time the high glucose levels in the blood may damage the nerves and small blood vessels of the eyes, heart, kidneys and predispose a person to atherosclerosis of the large arteries that can cause heart attack and stroke.
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). As the cells are starved of energy, the body begins to break down cells of fat. As a result, levels of ketones (acidic chemicals) begin to accumulate the blood, leading to increased acidity. The liver goes on to produce the sugar. In its turn body cannot use these sugars without insulin and therefore more sugars accumulate into the blood stream. The combination of high excess sugars, dehydration and acid accumulation is known as "ketoacidosis" and can be threatening for life if not treated immediately.
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