What is Type One Diabetes and Who Does it Affect?

Type one diabetes is the nastier of the two types of diabetes as scientists aren’t sure why exactly people get it or what the causes are. It used to be called juvenile diabetes because people are generally diagnosed with it when they’re children. It causes the body’s immune system to attack beta cells in the pancreas. These cells are the body’s only way of producing insulin, the hormone which allows regulation of blood-sugar levels and the use of these sugars as fuel for the whole body.

Who is at risk?

It’s known that type one diabetes can run in families and scientists are currently under the belief that a combination of genetic and environmental factors are responsible for people contracting the condition. As I’ve said, it’s most common in children but can be developed by people at any age. In the USA alone, 40 children are diagnosed with type one diabetes every day.

Unlike type two diabetes there’s no lifestyle changes which will prevent type one and despite all of the research which has gone on in the last few decades, there’s no cure.

What Happens?

Diabetics are unable to regulate their blood-sugar levels because their bodies don’t create any insulin. Their levels of blood-sugar rise unchecked and without insulin the body is incapable of breaking down the blood-sugar into a fuel source. Type one diabetics need to treat themselves regularly with insulin either through injection or through a pump as this is the only way they can get this hormone.

Without treatment diabetes can cause all sorts of damage and complications. High blood sugar for protracted periods of time can cause damage to the smallest blood vessels in the body, many of these are found in the eyes and it’s for this reason that diabetics who let their disease get out of control can potentially lose their eyesight.