Is Type 1 Diabetes Serious?

Diabetes is a medical condition. If you or someone you love has type I diabetes, it helps to understand what it means.

It also helps to understand that this is a serious medical condition that needs careful management to avoid highly damaging long-term health consequences.

What is type 1 diabetes?

Diabetes is a malfunction of the pancreas. The pancreas is a very important organ. It produces many kinds of chemicals the body needs.

When something goes wrong with the pancreas, the results can be devastating.

There are two types of diabetes. Type I is the most serious. A person with type I diabetes either produces too little of a chemical known as insulin or cannot produce it at all.

This leads to problems digesting food. The body needs food for energy. When people cannot access insulin, they can suffer from all sorts of issues, including issues with their extremities.

They can also be at greater risk of a heart attack and stroke.

What causes type 1 diabetes?

Scientists have been able to provide people with lots of access to type 1 diabetes information. This helps people make better choices that can allow them to control their diabetes more effectively.

There are many causes that can trigger this problem. Some people are born with a propensity towards the disease.

As they grow, symptoms can become more and more noticeable for a parent or other caregiver. Others may acquire the disease as they grow older.

This can happen as a result of a problem with the pancreas, such as cancer.

Is it Serious?

It’s crucial to take this disease seriously. The pancreas is essential for life. A pancreas that isn’t functioning properly can lead to issues of all kinds.

These issues can impact a person’s ability to see, walk and eat. A person with diabetes needs to manage their diet carefully. This means making a note of exactly what they’re eating.

It also means noting how they feel at any given time. Too much insulin or lack of it can immediately impair the person’s ability to do activities such as drive a car.

This condition can impact many areas of the body. It can damage the body’s heart vessels. This means less blood flow. It can also create nerve damage.

Damage to the body’s nerves can mean frustrating pain in the limbs. Over time, a person with diabetes may face an increased risk of amputation as blood flow fails to get to their fingers and toes.

Diabetics are also at risk of kidney damage. The body’s kidneys may no longer work as they are damaged by diabetes.

The same is true of blood vessels in the eyes. Diabetes can decrease a person’s field of vision or lead to total blindness.

Type I diabetes is a very serious medical condition that must be managed closely to help sufferers reduce potential complications.

At Tandem Diabetes Care, you can find helpful resources to understand and manage Type 1 diabetes for yourself or your loved ones.