Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent diabetes. It is a type of diabetes that develops due to the deficiency or absence of insulin hormone secreted from the pancreas. Although it can occur at any age, it is frequently observed in people under the age of 30.
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
It occurs with the damage of genetic, environmental and immunological factors, beta cells of the pancreas. In type 1 diabetes that occurs in childhood or at a young age, clinical signs of diabetes do not appear until 80% of beta cells are lost. There is glucose tolerance up to this threshold, and then normal glucose tolerance cannot be maintained. This stage, which is glucose tolerance, is usually triggered by puberty or an infectious disease. The autoimmune event is progressive and beta cells are completely destroyed over time and diabetes becomes insulin dependent and permanent.
Why Type 1 Diabetes Occurs?
The true cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. However, it is known that Type 1 diabetes is usually triggered after an event such as viral infections (infections caused by viruses), stress or trauma in people with a genetic predisposition to this disease. As a result, in individuals with genetic predisposition; The beta cells of the pancreas, where the insulin hormone is produced, completely disappear after an autoimmune process. When beta cells are destroyed, insulin hormone cannot be produced, therefore insulin hormone is not found in people with Type 1 diabetes. brings. Three peaks are seen in preschool (around 6 years old), puberty (around 13 years old) and late adolescence (around 20 years of age).
Who is at Risk for Type 1 Diabetes?
HLA DR3, HLA DR4 haplotype (tissue groups) are at risk. The main location of genes predisposing to the development of type 1 diabetes is the 6th chromosome HLA locus. HLA gene polymorphism is responsible for 40-50% of the genetic factors that predispose to the development of type 1 diabetes. As environmental factors, rubella, coxsackie viruses and the use of cow's milk in the first year have been identified as the factors that cause the development of type 1 diabetes.
What are the Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes?
Loss of appetite, dry mouth, drinking a lot of water, feeling hungry, urinating a lot, urination at night, weight loss, tiredness Fatigue, tiring easily, getting up to urinate at night, less frequent blurred vision, unexplained weight loss, persistent infections, recurrent fungal infections, itching are the main findings. Patients are often underweight and of normal weight. In recent years, the type seen in overweight people similar to type 2, which also dominates insulin resistance, has also been defined.
How to Make a Definitive Diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes?
Fasting blood glucose or at a random time during the day detected high blood sugar Hb Alc (three-month blood sugar average) above 6%, low c peptide level and detection of chamber autoantibodies against B cells of the pancreas.
What is Type 1 Diabetes Treatment?
What are the consequences of untreated, neglected and out of control type 1 diabetes; Intensive insulin therapy (4 or 5) is the only option, as it is an insulin deficiency. The most common is diabetic ketoacidosis.
Diabetic ketosis can go up to coma, and cardiovascular, eye and kidney damage, which is one of the classic complications of diabetes, develops irreversibly in poorly regulated blood sugars. As a result of these, renal failure and dialysis and peripheral vascular diseases may result in results that require amputation in cases where peripheral vascular diseases cannot be prevented.
Is it Possible to Prevent Type 1 Diabetes?
Genetic and autoimmune causes are the main factors. Protection is not considered possible due to environmental factors as triggers. It should be aimed to reduce environmental factors such as not giving cow's milk during infancy and protection from viral infections (vaccines, etc.). It does not seem possible to eliminate autoimmune and genetic causes.
How Should the Life of Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Be?
- These patients need intensive insulin therapy (4 's, 5) should strictly comply, they should continue the maintenance treatment at the dose of insulin that normalizes blood sugar. (3 main, 3 intervals 5-6 breaks according to the situation)
- Never skip meals
- Weekly exercise and sports programs should be applied, while doing this, a sports program should be created individually by a conscious expert.
- According to the doctor's request a Annual, quarterly, six-monthly and annual controls should be made.
- Annual fundus examination should be performed.
- Urine analysis and protein in the urine should be investigated every 3-6 months.
- If complications occur, these systems should be reviewed by specific specialists according to the status of the complications (cardiovascular, eye and nephrology). It is an extremely vital issue for diabetic foot patients with serious complications.
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