Type 1 Diabetes
Every day an approximate 200 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a major part of an individual’s life; many diabetics have to deal with the complications of effects and treatments forever. Diabetes is a disease that can ruin a person’s life if it is not treated right. It is caused by a person’s immune system attacking and destroying insulin produced cells in the pancreas (MayoClinic 3). Diabetes is when an insulin hormone called the pancreas does not work properly. A normal pancreas creates insulin to cover sugar in the blood, but a diabetic’s pancreas does not produce insulin (Zimiliki 2). Since the pancreas does not work correctly, diabetics have to insert insulin into the body (A.D.A.M. 1). There are many things about diabetes that some people do not know. There are three different type of diabetes, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is also called Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and juvenile-onset diabetes (The New York Times 1). In the past three decades, type 1 diabetics have doubled (Haupt 1). Diabetes has caused more deaths then breast cancer and HIV/AIDS (Haupt 1). Type 1 diabetes is mostly diagnosed in childhood, and only ten percent of adults have diabetes (MayoClinic 2; Haupt 1). Diabetes is a disease that is never outgrown (MayoClinic 19). It is more likely to be diagnosed in whites than any other races (MayoClinic 4). Finland and Sweden have the highest number of diabetic people in the world (MayoClinic 4). There are many factors that cause diabetes. Diabetes can be caused by genetics, viruses, and autoimmune problems (New York Times 1). In the body, the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to regulate blood glucose (Zimiliki 2). Then, people have too much glucose in the body (MayoClinic 1). People with diabetes have high blood sugar because the person’s body cannot move sugar into the fat, liver, and muscle cells (A.D.A.M. 1). There are many symptoms that could lead a person to believe he/she has diabetes. Some ways to show if a person has diabetes can be slow-healing sores, mid-high blood pressure, gum or skin infections, bladder infections, and ketones in urine (MayoClinic 2). Some other ways that would show if a person has diabetes is by having weight loss, excess thirst, fatigue, frequent urination, hunger, and blurry vision (A.D.A.M. 2). Many of those symptoms happen quickly (New York Times 2). Diabetes can have many long term effects if it is not being treated correctly. One effect that would happen is having a cardiovascular disease which causes chest pain, heart attack, stroke, narrowing of arteries, and heart disease (MayoClinic 5). Sugar sometimes injures the wall of the tiny blood vessels (MayoClinic 5). Foot damage can also have an effect on a diabetic. Foot damage causes sores, pain and itching, and if it gets worse feet or legs can be removed (A.D.A.M. 3). Skin and mouth damage can produce bacterial infections, fungal infections, and gum infections (MayoClinic 6). Eye problems can also happen if diabetes is not managed correctly. Eye problems include having trouble seeing and having sensitivity to light. If eye sight gets worse, it could make a person blind (New York Times 5). Diabetes can cause kidney damage. Kidney damage can make kidneys shut down (New York Times 5). Another problem with not keeping control of diabetes is nerve damage. Nerve damage can cause pain, tingling, and loss of feeling. It makes it harder to digest food, and causes trouble using the bathroom (New York Times 5).
Although there is no cure for diabetes, some treatments can be made to help manage it (MayoClinic 19). Acupuncture can help to