Symptoms
The most common and characteristic symptom of type 1 diabetes is rapid weight loss within a short period of time. This is accompanied by a constant feeling of thirst, frequent and pronounced urination and the associated dehydration. This is due to the fact that above a certain glucose concentration in the blood, the body is no longer able to absorb all the sugar from the urine, so more is excreted.
To enable this excretion, increased amounts of water must be added, which explains the urge to urinate and also the compensatory thirst. Particular attention should be paid if these symptoms occur during or shortly after a viral infection. In addition to regulating blood sugar, insulin is also an important component of the body’s fat balance and normally ensures that fatty acids are retained in the cells.
A deficiency therefore leads to an increased accumulation of fatty acids in the blood, which cannot be broken down sufficiently due to their large quantity and are therefore converted into so-called ketone bodies. Since both fatty acids and ketone bodies are acidic structures, the blood becomes acidic (ketoacidosis). Since the acid-base balance of the body tolerates only very small fluctuations, an excess of acid quickly leads to a derailment of all metabolic pathways.
In addition, there are general symptoms such as headaches, concentration disorders, visual disturbances and fatigue, which are mainly due to the lack of sugar within the body cells. In the worst case, an affected person falls into a ketoacidotic coma, which is a life-threatening condition.Symptoms or secondary diseases of diabetes, which, however, only occur if the diabetes remains undetected or is poorly treated, include high blood pressure, heart attack, vascular diseases (especially in the area of the retina, which can lead to diabetic retinopathy and in the worst case to blindness), neuropathy and renal insufficiency. There are several ways to diagnose diabetes, which are used for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
First of all, the blood sugar level should be measured, which in a fasting state should normally be below 110 mg/dl. If it is higher than 126 mg/dl, diabetes is present. There are also various laboratory tests available.
First of all, the measurement of HbA1c. This is a value that affects the haemoglobin, the red pigment of the blood cells. Normally only a very small part of the hemoglobin is associated with glucose.
If there is an excess of sugar in the blood, as is the case with diabetes, this proportion is significantly higher than the normal 4-6% of hemoglobin. Since this value reflects the blood sugar level of the last weeks, it is not only a good way to diagnose, but also to check if a therapy of diabetes is successful. If it is within the normal range, the occurrence of consequential damage is rather unlikely.
In addition, there is also the measurement of sugar or ketone bodies in the urine, which should be below a certain level in healthy individuals. To determine the body’s own insulin production, the so-called C-peptide can be measured in the blood. This is always released by the pancreas in the same quantity as insulin, which allows us to deduce its release.
A special feature of type 1 diabetes is the presence of autoantibodies directed against the B cells of the pancreas. However, these are only detectable in about 80% of cases. A list of many autoantibodies and the clinical pictures caused by them can be found at AutoantibodiesWith this type of diabetes, the lack of insulin must be compensated for by means of an artificially supplied insulin.
There are various preparations for this type of diabetes, which differ mainly in their duration of effectiveness. On the one hand, there is normal insulin, which, however, has a slightly delayed onset of action, which is why it is taken at a certain distance from a meal, and on the other hand, there are insulin analogues in which the insulin has been slightly altered in its structure in order to be effective faster and/or longer. This therapy must be applied for life, since it does not eliminate the cause of the insulin deficiency.
It is therefore important to train patients to the extent that they can inject the insulin themselves. The diabetics must also learn to what extent food intake affects their blood sugar level in order to be able to adjust the dose of insulin accordingly. As long as they pay attention to this, however, normal-weight type 1 diabetics can eat a completely normal diet.
Oral antidiabetics, as used in type 2 diabetes, are of no use in this disease, as they are used to stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas, which is not possible in type 1 because of the absolute lack of insulin. Prophylaxis:
Unfortunately, there are no preventive measures that could prevent the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus. This therapy must be carried out for life, since the cause of the insulin deficiency is not eliminated.
It is therefore important to train patients to the extent that they can inject the insulin themselves. The diabetics must also learn to what extent food intake affects their blood sugar level so that they can adjust the dose of insulin accordingly. As long as they pay attention to this, however, normal-weight type 1 diabetics can eat a completely normal diet.
Oral antidiabetics, as used in type 2 diabetes, are of no use in this disease, as they are used to stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas, which is not possible in type 1 because of the absolute lack of insulin. Prophylaxis:
Unfortunately, there are no preventive measures that could prevent the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Oral antidiabetics as used in type 2 diabetes are of no use in this disease, as they serve to stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas, which is not possible in type 1 because of the absolute lack of insulin. Unfortunately, there are no preventive measures that could prevent the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus.
