| Special areas in the pancreas gland, the | | | | |
| islets of Langerhans, produce a hormone | | | | -Dryness in the mouth |
| called insulin. This hormone is a protein of | | | | |
| small size. Insulin stimulates muscle cells | | | | -An abnormal high appetite |
| and other body cells to take up glucose from | | | | |
| the blood and convert the glucose to | | | | -Feeling extremely tired and weak |
| glycogen, a kind of starch, and then store | | | | |
| the glycogen. By need the body cells convert | | | | -Weight loss, even when one eats well |
| the glycogen to glucose and use it as fuel. | | | | |
| In this way insulin keeps the glucose level | | | | -Impaired vision |
| in the blood at a normal size. | | | | |
| | | | If the blood sugar level is not stabilized to |
| By diabetes type I the cells producing | | | | a normal value, there will be an accumulation |
| insulin are destroyed. Then less glucose is | | | | of chemicals in the body called ketones, and |
| taken up from the blood into the body cells | | | | this condition is called diabetic |
| and utilized there, and glucose accumulates | | | | ketoacidosis. This serious condition can lead |
| in the blood. | | | | to coma and death. The signs of ketoacidosis |
| | | | are: |
| | | | |
| | | | -Vomiting, |
| THE CAUSES AND MECHANISMS OF DIABETES TYPE I | | | | |
| | | | -Pain in the stomach |
| The cause of the disease is not well known. | | | | |
| An auto-immune response attacking the insulin | | | | -Rapid breathing, |
| producing cells in the langerhansian islets | | | | |
| may be a cause. Virus infection may be | | | | -High pulse rate |
| another cause. The disease also is to some | | | | |
| extend inherited. | | | | -Somnolence (abnormal tendency to sleep) |
| | | | |
| When the glucose uptake into the body cells | | | | In the long term, diabetes type 1 can |
| is reduced, but glucose instead accumulates | | | | severely hurt the blood vessels in vital |
| in the blood, the following physiological | | | | organs. This can further cause damage to the |
| effects occur: | | | | heart, eyes, kidneys or other body organs. |
| | | | |
| -The body cells do not get enough fuel for | | | | |
| the work they shall do. | | | | |
| | | | TREATMENTS OF DIABETES TYPE 1 |
| -The molecular thickness (osmality) of the | | | | |
| blood increases. This causes water to be | | | | Diabetes type 1 is treated with insulin |
| pulled out from the body tissues and into the | | | | injections. Implanting insuline cells in the |
| blood. The tissues thus get dried out and the | | | | pancreas is an experimental treatment. |
| urine production increases. | | | | Another experimental treatment is to implant |
| | | | stem cells in the pancreas that can develop |
| -The tissues begin to break down protein and | | | | into new insulin producing cells. |
| fat to get energy, causing weight loss and | | | | |
| muscular reduction. | | | | Another important module of the treatment is |
| | | | regulation of the amount of sugar and fat |
| The symptoms of diabetes type 1 are a | | | | consumed through the diet so that it fits |
| consequence of these mechanisms. | | | | together with the insulin-amount injected. |
| | | | Also regular monitoring of the blood sugar |
| | | | level to regulate the insulin amount is an |
| | | | important part of the treatment. |
| SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES TYPE 1 | | | | |
| | | | There are also natural products in the market |
| The disease often starts suddenly. Often | | | | that can help to normalize the blood sugar |
| children or young people are attacked by the | | | | level by diabetes type 1. Those products |
| disease. The lack of insulin causes an | | | | cannot heal the disease or replace insulin |
| increased amount of blood sugar. Early | | | | injections, but they can help the body to |
| symptoms of the disease are: | | | | regulate the blood sugar level. These |
| | | | products contain minerals that are working |
| -Increased urine production | | | | components of enzymes that stimulate the |
| | | | glucose metabolism in the body. They also |
| -Dehydration (lack of water in the body) | | | | contain herbs that have been used for a long |
| | | | time in traditional medicine to regulate the |
| -Abnormally high thirst as a consequence of | | | | glucose level and that have proven their |
| increased urine production | | | | effects in scientific studies. |