What is type 1 diabetes?

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You may have just been diagnosed and may not have been able to take in what the doctor has said.

Type 1 diabetes is where your body stops producing insulin altogether.

There is no known clue as to why that happens. Some people say that it is caused by stress or a recent illness.

Your body has attacked your pancreas killing all the insulin producing cells.

Insulin carries all the nutrients from the food you eat to the cells. When there is no insulin, your body goes into starvation mode. It takes all the fat and muscle stores in order to keep you alive.

Meanwhile you are eating and all the nutrients remain in your blood. This causes the kidneys to work overtime flushing the excess sugar from your body.

This is why you need to go to the toilet all the time and that you are constantly thirsty.

This happened to me. I was constantly needing to pee and I impressed my friends with my ability to down 6 bottles of water in one go.

Friends also commented that I had lost loads of weight.

Other symptoms are blurred vision and tiredness. I did not realize that I was so tired, I was too concerned with my needing to pee and drink water all the time.

Another symptom is a cut or bruise that takes longer to heal. If you find that, it may be worth checking for diabetes.

What is Type 1 diabetes?

What is diabetes?

Treatment is daily insulin injections and testing your blood sugar. You will have to monitor what you eat and adjust your insulin accordingly.

Also regular trips to the doctor is in order. You will have to have tests every 3-6 months for your long term blood sugar control in order to make sure that you are on the right track.

Natural products like aloe vera and bee products can help. Also making sure that you get the right amount of vitamins and minerals in your diet.

Getting plenty of exercise is also key to controlling your diabetes. You may be able to eat more treats if you do.

If controlled well there is no reason why you can't live a normal healthy life.

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