Diabetes mellitus type 1 can occur at any age but usually develops during childhood and adolescence. About 5% of diabetics have this type of diabetes. The other type, diabetes type 2 is a condition mostly found in adults.

The treatment for diabetes type 1 does not cure the condition. There is no cure and therefore, treatment has to be taken lifelong. The solution and primary aim of treatment lie in keeping the blood sugar level within normal limits.

Type 1 diabetes is a genetic disorder, which develops because the pancreas does not produce insulin or produces very little insulin. This happens because the autoimmune system of the body mistakenly destroys the beta cells in the pancreas. These are the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin, which keeps the blood glucose level under control.

Treatment and management guidelines of diabetes type 1 in children and adults:

A person with diabetes type 1 has to manage his condition by religiously following the following guidelines.

  1. Medicines for diabetes type 1, primarily include insulin injection or an insulin pump
  2. A proper diabetes diet includes healthy foods and counting your carbohydrate intake.
  3. Exercise – aerobic exercises, which can include walking, cycling, swimming, etc.
  4. Checking blood sugar levels several times a day

Treating type 1 diabetes or juvenile-onset diabetes, as it was formerly called, is not just about medicines. A proper diet and an exercise plan form an equally important part of management.

Parents of children with juvenile-onset diabetes have a major role to play in monitoring the child’s condition and making sure, he follows the treatment guidelines properly.

The aim of these four management guidelines is to keep your blood sugar levels within normal limits. Fasting blood glucose should be between 70 to 120 mg/dl and in the sample two hours after food, below 180 mg/dl.

About 5% of diabetes patients suffer from type 1. The symptoms of this type of diabetes onset suddenly. It doesn’t take long for your doctor to diagnose you from the presentation of your symptoms.

He will request laboratory blood investigations, which will confirm the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Your doctor will advise you on the foods to eat and the daily exercise routine you will have to follow. He will then start you on the treatment, which has to be lifelong.

If you follow the treatment program and keep your blood glucose within normal limits, you don’t have a thing to worry about. You will live a normal life doing all activities as a healthy non-diabetic does and shall probably live longer because of the disciplined living lifestyle.

Insulin

Anyone diagnosed with this type of diabetes has to check his blood glucose level each week to know if the blood glucose level is within normal limits.

Insulin is the main medicine used and it is given parenterally by a subcutaneous route (injected just under the skin). There is no treatment for type 1 diabetes without insulin. Oral insulin pills don’t work, because the digestive juices in the stomach break down the insulin.

There are different types of insulin and they are classified according to their onset of action.

  • Rapid-acting insulin begins to act about 15 minutes after administration, its action peaks in one hour and lasts for about 2 to 4 hours.
  • Short-acting insulin begins to act within 30 minutes after injection, its action peaks between 2 to 3 hours and lasts for anywhere between 3 to 6 hours.
  • Intermediate-acting insulin begins to act in about 2 to 4 hours, peaks 4 to 12 hours after injection, and is effective for about 12 to 18 hours.
  • Long-acting insulin starts to act several hours after it is injected and its action lasts for 24 hours.

The insulin injection is administered by a disposable insulin syringe and needle, an insulin pen, or an insulin pump. Depending on what is best for you, your doctor may put you on a mixture of the types of insulin – rapid-acting insulin with a long-acting one to be taken during the 24 hours. Again, you may have to take insulin injections multiple times – three to four times a day.

The insulin pump is the size of a cell phone and contains the insulin reservoir, which is connected by a tube to a small catheter that is injected just under the skin. It is programmed to inject specific amounts of rapid-acting insulin into the body several times during the day at the prescribed time. This is the basal rate, which indicates a steady dose of insulin.

Other medications that your doctor may prescribe include:

Monitoring blood sugar guidelines

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is advised to maintain optimal blood glucose levels. Patients having type 1 diabetes mellitus must learn to self-monitor blood levels at home using a glucose meter.

The American Diabetes Association recommends testing for glucose levels before meals and snacks, sometimes after meals, before exercising, before driving, and before bed. This testing is not just to check high sugar levels but also to watch for low sugar levels. This also helps to regulate the dose of insulin.

All insulin-dependent diabetes patients must strictly check their blood sugar levels as recommended above.

Patients with type 1 diabetes should also test urine for ketones especially if they have any of the following symptoms.

  • Symptoms of cold or flu
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Abdominal pain
  • Excessive thirst or urination
  • An unexpected high glucose level
  • Persistent fluctuation in plasma glucose levels

New treatments for type 1 diabetes

  • Pancreas transplant has been successful in some cases but can pose more problems than diabetes itself. Even if the transplant is successful, you would need immunosuppressant drugs to prevent organ rejection. These drugs have serious side effects, which can be more serious than your diabetes. If safe immunosuppressant drugs become available, many diabetics will have less to worry about this new treatment.
  • Pancreatic islet transplantation transfers some insulin-producing cells from the pancreas of the healthy non-diabetic donor to the recipient. The new cells then start making insulin. This procedure still exists in the experimental stage. The body’s autoimmune system destroys these new cells as it has destroyed its own cells.
  • Stem cell transplant has shown great potential and one day scientists hope that this can rid the diabetes type 1 patient of the suffering of taking insulin shots daily. They have been successful in transforming human embryonic stem cells into fully functioning beta cells capable of producing insulin. So far, they have developed millions of insulin-producing cells through stem cell technology. Stem cell transplant involves shutting down the immune system and then building it up again so that it will not destroy the beta cells of the pancreas that produce insulin.

To sum up the management and treatment of diabetes type 1

There is no cure for diabetes mellitus type 1. Treatment and management guidelines in children and adults have to be followed throughout life.

  • Take your diabetes medicines regularly
  • Continuously monitor blood glucose levels
  • Follow the exercise plan daily without any holidays
  • Stick to the diabetes diet
  • Avoid alcohol. However, two pegs (60 ml) for men and one peg for women can be taken after permission from your doctor and if you maintain your sugar levels regularly.
  • Avoid smoking
  • Follow these effective natural home remedies