TYPE I DIABETES
By: Aaliyah Adamson
WHAT IS DIABETES?
Diabetes is "a metabolic disease in which the body's inability to produce any or enough insulin causes elevated levels of glucose in the blood."
THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF DIABETES
- TYPE 1
- TYPE 2
SO WHATS THE DIFFERENCE?
TYPE 1
- Develops in younger people
- body either doesn't make insulin at all or not enough insulin
- Genetic (in most cases)
- treated by insulin shots
TYPE 2
- Can affect anyone of any age (most common to develop during middle age)
- can be caused by poor diet habits or lack of excersise/physical activities
- treated by pill
Today we are focusing on Type 1 diabetes...
TYPE I
Type 1 diabetes can also be reffered to as
- Insulin-Dependent
OR
- Juvenile Diabetes.
Type I diabetes happens when your pancreas' beta cells get destroyed by your immune system.
Immune system (white blood cells) mistake your beta cells for invaders, which causes you immune system (white blood cells) to release autoantibodies, which is what kills your beta cells.
What is an Autoantibodies?
- They are "immune proteins that mistakenly target and react with a persons own tissues or organs"
So why is this bad you might say?
Well these cells are the cells that make insulin and insulin is a hormone that helps transfers glucose (sugars) into your body's tissues.
Since very little or no insulin could be made, this eventually causes glucose to build up in your blood instead of being converted to energy.
As a result, this leads to High blood Sugar.
Excess glucose building up in your bloodstream is referred to Hyperglycemia
some SYMPTOMS of Type I diabetes are:
- Excessive Hunger
- Fatigueness
- Excessive Thirst
- Frequent Urination
- Weight Loss
- etc.