Juvenile Diabetes
Juvenile diabetes also called Type 1 diabetes, belongs to a family of diabetes types called Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes is classified as a group of diseases that affect how the body uses the sugar received from food and the liver. This is called blood glucose and it mainly comes from the foods we eat. This glucose during digestion of food is absorbed into the bloodstream and creates energy for the cells, muscles, and tissues. This is necessary for good body function and health. In the course of the digestive process (where food is broken down so the body can use it properly to nourish: cells, tissues, muscles, and organs) the pancreas (the gland located behind the stomach) secretes insulin (hormone that controls the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood of the islets of Langerhans (the regions of the pancreas that contains these hormone producing cells). Insulin regulates the energy and glucose metabolism in the body causing cells in the liver, muscles, and fat tissues to take up glucose. When this is interrupted due to diabetes the pancreas can no longer secrete insulin resulting in insulin deficiency. The cells, muscles, and tissues are not being fed and the glucose cannot provide the energy the body needs. It just sits in the bloodstream.
Type I diabetes also called Juvenile diabetes is a form of diabetes mellitus prevalent in chldren and young adults. It affects between 5 to 10% of the population and is considered the least common of the diabetes types but one of the most dangerous. It is an autoimmune disease meaning the immune system can no longer function properly due to little or no insulin it is receiving and this is destroying the beta cells (the cells that make and release insulin) in the pancreas by allowing the T-cells (white blood cells that regulate and remove harmful pathogens in the blood and help in the maturing of B-cells into plasma cells) to attack the remaining beta cells. Symptoms of this type of diabetes and all other types include: increased thirst (the person is always thirsty and can never be satisfied), frequent urination (the urine has a sweet smell called glycosuria which means excessive sweet urine. This is due to the build up of bloood glucose), extreme hunger (like thirst the person is always hungry), weight loss (can be significant and dramatic), fatigue (due to the cells, muscles, and tissues not getting the energy they need to function normally), vision problems (that can lead to blindness), gum, skin, vaginal , and bladder infections, and any cuts or sores that are very slow to heal. If this condition is left untreated can result in: heart disease (which can eventually lead to heart attack), kidney disease (eventually the patient would have to placed on dialysis), blindness, loss of limbs, and in severe cases death.
Treatment for Type 1 Juvenile diabetes includes: regular insulin injections, frequent daily monitoring of blood glucose levels, and controlled diet. If diagnosed early, patients can live normal, happy productive lives but the longer a person goes without seeking medical help, the more serious the symptoms and complications. This is a very serious dangerous disease.
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