You may not have heard of Type 1 Diabetes, but you will have heard of Juvenile Diabetes, which is the same thing. This form of diabetes is also sometimes referred to as hereditary and / or genetic Diabetes. The reason for this is pretty explanatory – sometimes Type 1 is passed down through every second generation in a family.
The pancreas gland is the part of the body that is in charge of creating and secreting the right amount of insulin for the body. Type 1 Diabetes is caused when the body attacks the pancreas and stops it from ever producing insulin again. The body then needs outside insulin injections to survive.
Type 1 Diabetes is usually first diagnosed when the patient is a child or young adult. It is a chronic condition, which means it will be with you your whole life. However, Diabetes is very treatable and controllable. As long as you obey your doctor’s orders and you don’t forget to give yourself your insulin injections, you shouldn’t have a problem.
This disease is only dangerous when the patient slips and does not follow the rules. Forgetting insulin or eating too many tabooed foods can lead to consequences as bad as a diabetic coma! While this does not happen all of the time, relaxing on the rules will guarantee you a hospital visit.
Type 1 Diabetes is different than Type 2 in that with Type 1, the disease isn’t really the patient’s fault. It is either genetic or a pre-existing problem within the body. While Type 2 Diabetes isn’t always the fault of the patient, it is usually the case of not enough exercise, and too much of the wrong foods. Type 1 Diabetes is also the more serious of the two.