What is Type I Diabetes?

Just to preface, the human body is brilliant; there are times when errors occur

and the body has backup plans to fix those errors. With Diabetes mellitus, the main focus happens to be within the pancreatic organ. While small in size, the pancreas has a major role in maintaining homeostasis (a state of normalcy) within the body. There are clusters of cells in the pancreas called the Islet of Langerhans cells and these cell clusters contain beta cells which have the responsibility of synthesizing two hormones called insulin and amylin. In Type I diabetic individuals, their body attacks these Islet cell clusters therefore the pancreas cannot produce the necessary amount of insulin.

Insulin and amylin are two hormones that work together in order for our cells to receive the

glucose in our blood stream. Insulin creates a channel for the sugar to move from the blood and into the cell. Amylin is a hormone that suppresses the function of another hormone called glucagon; this hormone's job is to stop the body from absorbing glucose.

Individuals with Type I diabetes are considered immunocompromised because their immune

system doesn't recognize the Islet clusters as part of the body. As a result, the body will attack them, rendering the ability to produce the insulin and amylin hormones.

Symptoms

Type 1 diabetes signs and

symptoms can appear relatively

suddenly and may include the following:

Polydipsia (severe increased thirst)
Polyuria (frequent urination)
Sudden bed-wetting
Extreme hunger
Unintended weight loss over a short period of time
Irritability and other mood changes
Fatigue and weakness
Blurred vision

Please contact your Healthcare Provider if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.

Complications

Individuals with Type I diabetes

have a difficult time maintaining their blood sugar levels and with this reason, they are at higher risk of developing life-threatening complications. Here are just a few major ones.

Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)
- Excessive amounts of sugar in the blood can damage the walls of capillaries that provide nourishment to nerves therefore the nerve cannot function correctly. This will lead to a loss of sensation in multiple limbs.
Eye damage
- The eye contains a specific nerve called the retina, and its job is to send signals to the brain to interpret a picture. The retina will experience retinopathy due to the damaged supplying blood vessels which will then lead to eventual vision loss.
Cardiovascular diseases
- If diabetes is not well managed, the chances of developing atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and high blood pressure are greatly increased.

What Can I Eat?

People who have diabetes often

have first thoughts of what can and can't they eat. Their diets don't change significantly, contrarily to what other people may believe. Diabetic individuals can still enjoy the finer things in life, they just need to watch it and keep it in moderation.

Often times, many individuals try

to monitor their carbohydrate intake, however in diabetic individuals, they have to be extra careful. The body processes carbohydrates into glucose molecules and with inability for the person utilize insulin, their blood glucose levels will be highly concentrated.

Diabetic individuals may want to

stay away from foods with added sugar and simple/refined carbohydrates. This can include foods such as white rice, white bread, sugary cereals and drinks, as well as sugary desserts.

Foods that are acceptable for a

diabetic individual to eat can include, but not limited to: fruits, non-starchy vegetables such as green vegetables and fibrous legumes like beans, lentils, split peas, and grains like oats, barley, and brown rice.