Type 1 diabetes mellitus also known as juvenile diabetes is a chronic medical condition that strikes a person in young age. It starts even in childhood or during adolescence. In this type, the pancreas becomes deficient to produce sufficient quantities of insulin which is responsible for converting sugar particles into simpler substances for producing energy.
Genetics and other factors can cause Type 1 diabetes and there is no permanent cure for this disorder. However the symptoms can be managed by taking regular medications. More than 90% of the people having diabetics will have Type 2 diabetes and only less percentage suffer from diabetes mellitus of Type 1. Complications of diabetes can either be acute or chronic. If the levels of blood sugar goes very high it can cause hyperglycemia and abnormally low blood sugar levels cause hypoglycemia. Chronic conditions of diabetes can affect the blood vessels and cause serious damage to the eyes, heart, kidneys and feet. Type 1 diabetes can occur on anyone including lean person and weight does not play a role in this type of diabetes like that in Type 2.
What Happens To Pancreas ?
In Type 1 diabetes mellitus, the body’s own immune system attacks the beta cells present in the pancreas thereby disabling them to produce insulin. Certain type of cells called beta cells are responsible for secreting insulin hormone which is necessary for converting food particles into simpler substances of sugar molecules like fructose. When these cells are attacked by the antibodies of the immune system, the pancreas stops producing insulin or produces it in less quantity thereby increasing the sugar component in the blood. But what produces abnormal antibodies to destroy the beta cells is not understood.