Learn to Spot Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms

Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, and/or juvenile-onset diabetes, is a lifelong disease that starts when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.

Type 1 diabetes symptoms are not easy to spot and many people live with the condition for a long time before they realize that they are suffering from diabetes. It may take an influenza like sickness for type 1 diabetes symptoms to exacerbate and intensify over a few weeks.

Some classic type 1 diabetes symptoms are:

Increased thirst and frequent urination, which may be more noticeable at night. In type 1 diabetes, excess sugar builds up in your bloodstream, which pulls water from your body's tissues, making you thirsty. As a result, you drink more fluids and pass more urine. The excess sugar in your bloodstream passes through your kidneys and into your urine. Young children who are toilet-trained may still wet their bed during sleep.

Persistent hunger pangs and fatigue. The basic defect in type 1 diabetes, an inability to produce insulin, leaves your muscles and organs deprived of energy. This triggers intense hunger, which is not satiated even after eating because, without insulin, the glucose produced from carbohydrates in your food never reaches your body's energy- starved tissues. You are also perpetually tired and irritable due to the lack of energy supply to the cells.

Thinning out of muscles. People with type 1 diabetes lose weight, sometimes rapidly, despite eating a lot to relieve their constant hunger. That's because energy-giving glucose is lost through the urine. Without energy, cells die at a rate higher than their replacement. Body weight decreases as muscle tissues and fat stores shrink.

Unfocused, blurred vision. When high levels of blood glucose pull fluid from all your tissues, they don't spare the lenses of your eyes. The resultant decrease in fluid affects your ability to focus your vision.

Sometimes, before a person with type 1 diabetes realizes something is wrong, the blood sugar level has already risen alarmingly. When the body is unable to get glucose it needs for energy, it begins to break down fat and muscle for energy.

When fat is used for energy, ketones (fatty acids) are produced and enter the bloodstream, causing the chemical imbalance diabetic ketoacidosis. This can be a life-threatening condition and requires immediate medical attention.

Diabetic ketoacidosis manifests as:
Hot, flushed, dry skin.
Abdominal pain, loss of appetite, vomiting.
A strong, fruity breath (similar to nail polish remover or acetone).
Deep, rapid breathing.
Drowsiness, difficulty waking up, restlessness, confusion, or even coma.

Type 1 diabetes may not require drastic life changes in order to treat and control it; however, diabetes is not curable, it is a disease you have to live with for the rest of your life. Take serious notice of the type 1 diabetes symptoms, and control the disease, instead of letting it control your life.

Helpful Information On Diabetes For Your reference

Diagnosis of Diabetes,

Diabetes: What the Diagnosis Means