What is the treatment for Type 1 Diabetes

Undergoing treatment for type 1 diabetes will last a lifetime for those who suffer from this disease. Those suffering from type 1 diabetes will undergo regular blood sugar checks followed by insulin injections or the eating of fruit to regulate the sugar levels through diet and exercise.

Type 1 diabetes, unlike its counterpart, type 2 or “adult onset” diabetes developed due to an autoimmune disorder when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues as if they were a foreign invader. In this case, the islet cells of the pancreas that produce insulin are seen as “foreign” tissue by the body’s immune system and they are destroyed.

This lack of insulin results in the condition of diabetes, without insulin the body can no longer transfer the sugar from the blood stream to the cells in the body. It is unclear why the autoimmune system attacks these islet cells, but it is often a hereditary trait. Another way type 1 diabetes can occur is if the pancreas is damaged due to injury from trauma, toxins, or perhaps is surgically removed for other reasons, such as cancer for example.

Occasionally, a viral infection such as rubella, mumps, measles, influenza, polio, or Epstein-Barr virus will trigger the autoimmune system to destroy the islet cells. This usually happens in those who are genetically susceptible as most that catch these infections will never develop this particular problem.

The treatment of type 1 diabetes is straightforward. Injections of insulin under the skin, normally going directly into the fat cells of the stomach or thigh so that it can be absorbed into the bloodstream where it can then be accessed by the all the cells in the body. Daily injections can by a little painful and somewhat annoying, but insulin cannot be taken orally as the acids in the stomach will destroy the insulin long before it can be absorbed into the cells.

Regular checks of the blood sugar, usually several times each day is another part of the treatment of type 1 diabetes to make sure the levels are correct. Too much sugar in the bloodstream means an injection of insulin, not enough sugar will generally mean eating a piece of fruit or candy bar to get the sugar levels back up to normal. Not enough sugar in the bloodstream is also dangerous since the person can pass out. Such regulation of diet, blood sugar checks, and insulin injections are all part of the treatment for type 1 diabetes.

New advances in the treatment of type 1 diabetes include insulin pumps which are connected to the patient and deliver a regulated dose depending on the levels of blood sugar in the body. The person affected still has to check the sugar levels themselves, but using the pump means that instead of finding a new place to stick a needle in, the pump can be used all day in one place.

Everyday, new advances in the treatment of diabetes type 1 make it easy for those who have this condition to live normal lives.