Diabetes Mellitus Type IDiabetes Mellitus Type I – General InformationDiabetes Mellitus belongs to a wide class of medical conditions that affect the patient’s metabolism. It is known that if someone develops this particular medical disorder he or she will probably experience high glucose (blood sugar levels) that can be caused by an insulin imbalance. The body might not produce an appropriate amount of this hypo-glycemiant hormone or the hormone is unable to achieve its purpose. When it was discovered, Diabetes Mellitus Type I was associated with some of its most common symptoms: excessive muscular losses and / or “sweet urine”. If a patient has abnormally high levels of blood sugar (a condition commonly referred to as hyperglycemia) this will determine the excretion of the excess amount of glucose through urine. In a healthy organism, the blood sugar levels are kept under strict control by a hormone that is produced in the patient’s pancreas: insulin. This hormone is supposed to effectively lower the patient’s levels of blood glucose. After a meal, or after eating products that are rich in carbohydrates, the patient’s blood sugar levels tend to go up. This is when insulin ought to be excreted by the pancreas, as it should bring the blood sugar levels back to their initial value. However, in the case of patients who suffer from Diabetes Mellitus Type I, the insufficient production or the complete absence of this hormone determined hyperglycemia. This medical condition is a chronic disorder. It can be kept under control but it cannot be cured. Patients who develop Diabetes Mellitus Type I must follow a therapy that will keep their blood sugar levels at appropriate values during their entire lifetime.Diabetes Mellitus Type I – SymptomsIf it is left untreated (or if the patient is unaware that he or she is suffering form this medical condition), Diabetes Mellitus Type I can trigger abnormally high blood sugar levels, leading to hyperglycemia. The excess amount of glucose tends to be eliminated through urine, thus “sweet urine” appears. However, if abnormally high amounts of glucose are excreted through urination, this can cause increased urination, thus triggering dehydration and its adjacent symptoms. A patient who develops dehydration will have to consume an increased amount of water per day (in order to balance the fluids that are lost through excessive excretion) and will probably experienced abnormally increased thirst (especially for cold water). If not enough insulin is secreted by the pancreas, this will also affect the metabolism of fats, proteins and so on. This hormone is one of the most important hormones of the human body. As insulin is supposed to “encourage” the storage of proteins and / or fait, the lack of this hormone will determine abnormal weight loss, even if another known symptom is an increased appetite. Other patients who suffer from the most severe forms of this medical condition complain of nausea, fatigue and / or vomiting. Furthermore, all patients who suffer from this medical issue (Diabetes Mellitus Type I) ought to know that they have a higher risk of developing infections of the vaginal areas, skin, and / or bladder. Extreme fluctuations of the patient’s blood sugar levels can trigger blurred vision and other visual disturbances.Diabetes Mellitus Type I – TreatmentUnfortunately, this medical condition is a chronic disorder. This means that it cannot be cured. Patients who develop this disorder (Diabetes Mellitus Type I) have to follow a strict treatment in order to keep their blood glucose levels under control for the rest of their lives. The main goal that is followed in the therapy of patients who suffer from this disorder is to stop the patient’s sugar levels from becoming abnormally high, without causing an unwanted hypoglycemia (which is another risky condition). The best prophylaxis for patients who have this medical issue includes exercise, insulin therapy and, of course, an appropriate diet. The most important part of the therapy for Diabetes Mellitus Type I is the insulin therapy. The medication is generally administered to the patient through an injection. The insulin therapy must be accompanied by daily monitoring of the patient’s sugar blood levels. If you develop this medical disorder, you physician will ask you to buy an effective glucose meter. If a patient does not treat his Diabetes Mellitus Type I with care, he or she can experience some extremely severe consequences. The most dangerous of them include diabetic keto-acidosis and diabetic coma. Both of them are known to be fatal. Even if, for no, the therapy with insulin should be followed during the patient’s entire life, there are hopes for better therapies that could be discovered soon. In the most extreme (severe) cases of patients who suffer from Diabetes Mellitus Type I, pancreas transplant may be considered an option. This might help restore the natural glucose regulation. All patients who are tempted by this medical procedure ought to be aware of the risks that it involves. Some physicians state that the operation is more risky than a continuous therapy with insulin. It is a highly dangerous procedure, as a new, functioning organ that is introduced in the patient’s body could also severely damage the patient’s healthy kidneys, interfering with their normal function. This is why this prophylaxis is left as the last and final option in the case of patients who also have to undergo kidney transplant or who cannot keep their blood glucose levels under control with a simple medication therapy. As Diabetes Mellitus Type I is known to be triggered by the abnormally slow number of beta cells in the patient’s organism (the cells that are supposed to secrete insulin), scientists who seek to discover a cure for this medical condition (or at least a more effective therapy to it) suspect that the answer lies in a procedure known as “beta-cells replacement”. The experimental replacement of such cells (that can be done either with or without stem cells) is a very popular subject among physicians who are specialized in metabolic medical conditions. This is a very promising procedure, which might become clinically available for patients from all over the world in the foreseeable future. |
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