Type 1 diabetics

Today while I was having lunch with my friends, we were joined by an American man, a very senior person in my client location. He is a very jovial person, health conscious, works out everyday and always have a smile on his face. We started talking and the topics ranged between his work-out schedule, lunch menu, the bike-trip that he has signed up for, his life in California, etcetcera. He told us about his wife and kid and mentioned that his son suffers from Juvenile diabetics - Type 1.

Type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a disorder of the body's immune system. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys certain cells in the pancreas, an organ about the size of a hand that is located behind the lower part of the stomach. These cells -- called beta cells -- are contained, along with other types of cells, within small islands of endocrine cells called the pancreatic islets. Beta cells normally produce insulin, a hormone that helps the body move the glucose contained in food into cells throughout the body, which use it for energy. But when the beta cells are destroyed, no insulin can be produced, and the glucose stays in the blood instead, where it can cause serious damage to all the organ systems of the body.

He was telling us how his son's body have to connected to an "Insulin Pump" always and how they constantly have to monitor the insulin levels. His wife gets up every three hours in the night to check whether everything is fine. He was telling us how exhausting it is to prick your finger, test blood and then inject the required amount of insulin (I think this is the common way of treatment in India) everyday and how much easier it is to use an "Insulin Pump". With device, he can enter the amount of carbs he is taking for each meal into the device and it will give you the amount of Insulin to be injected. I googled for info on the device and was astonished to discover how expensive it is. But it was disheartening to know that he has to be attached to the device 24x7, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for the rest of his life.

The warning signs of type 1 diabetes include extreme thirst; frequent urination; drowsiness or lethargy; sugar in urine; sudden vision changes; increased appetite; sudden weight loss; fruity, sweet, or wine-like odor on breath; heavy, labored breathing; stupor; and unconsciousness.

Type 1 diabetes is generally diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults. Scientists do not yet know exactly what causes type 1 diabetes, but they believe that autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are involved.

He told us that his son was detected of diabetics when he was a few years old because of frequent urination and extreme thirst. Since Type 1 diabetics can occur to even babies as small as a few months, I wonder how difficult it will be to diagnose them cause parents may overlook those symptoms as natural processes of growing up and the child may not always be able to artculate what he/she is going through. Its quite scary.

I think awareness is the key. If your child or someone close to you is having any of the symptoms, please consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Here is to more medical inventions and more ways to eradicate pain from our lives. This post is dedicated to all medical practitioners across the globe.

Info Courtesy: Juvenile Diabetics Research Foundation International