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Diagnosing diabetes type 1 should be left up to your
doctor. He can run a series of tests to determine if you have
this disease. Type 1 diabetes is brought on by the body’s
inability to produce enough insulin. That is, the pancreatic
cells that are responsible for producing insulin are not
producing enough, if in fact they produce any insulin at all.
Are you born with type 1 diabetes? Not necessarily, the
condition is caused by autoimmunity problems or the body’s
inability to recognize its own cells, as a result it ends up
attacking its own cells instead of only the foreign cells such
as those that are cancerous or bacterial in nature.
Diagnosing diabetes type 1 is not lifestyle-dependent. That is
why it can be diagnosed even in people who are perfectly
healthy and who are quite conscious of the food they eat and
the physical activities they engage in. Although poor diet and
lack of exercise can be risk factors in the diagnosis of type 1
diabetes, a direct link has not yet been established.
From the name itself - Type 1 diabetes or as it was previously
known juvenile diabetes - you can see that it was often
diagnosed in children or people under the age of 25. However
there is a rising diagnosis in older people and so the name was
changed from juvenile diabetes to diabetes type 1. It is
believed that type 1 diabetes is genetically determined but
studies are not yet conclusive as to the exact link between
diabetes and genetics.
People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin to
survive. Their weight and diet will dictate how much insulin
they will require at different stages in their lives. Those who
stick to a healthy diet and maintain their ideal weight may
need less insulin as compared with those who remain obese and
eat unhealthy food.
Regular monitoring of urine is required for type 1 diabetics.
This is because they need to watch out for ketones in their
urine. Type 1 diabetics are more likely to develop
ketoacidosis. This is a serious condition that develops when
the body is not getting enough fuel from food (no insulin means
food is not converted into energy that the body needs) and so
the body is using fat cells as energy source.
Unlike type 2 diabetics, there are less people diagnosed with
type 1 diabetes. This is because as people become more obese,
the incidence of diagnosis of type 2 diabetes increases, and
that is not true for type 1 diabetics. As you can see diagnosis
of diabetes type 1 is not easy and you should consult a medical
professional if you suspect you developing symptoms of type 1
diabetes.
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