Managing diabetes, regardless of the type, is a challenge. The issues may be different for both the types, but potential complications remain the same. Type 1 diabetes strikes without warning as it is an auto-immune disease that affects the insulin-making ability of the body. Insulin is an enzyme required to regulate blood glucose levels and provide energy to cells.
About Type 1 Diabetes
When type 1 diabetes strikes, the body mistakenly starts attacking healthy pancreatic (insulin-producing) cells. When there is little insulin to control the sugar, the glucose levels in the body spike. The energy is neither getting absorbed by the cells nor being brought down by insulin, leading to a condition called hyperglycemia, which when left untreated can lead to coma and even death.
While it may seem like a death sentence at first, it is well established that those with Type 1 Diabetes can lead a healthy and long life with proper management.
Controlling Type 1 Diabetes
The aim of any Type 1 diabetes treatment is to manage and regulate glucose levels in the body. The insulin is usually provided through injection before mealtimes. Your doctor can help you understand the specifics of the whole treatment and guide you in becoming self-sufficient in the face of diabetes.
There are more treatment options that help in dealing with the side effects of the disease.
Complications Related to Diabetes
The risk of developing certain other conditions also increases with type 1 diabetes. These include:
- Cardiovascular diseases: increased risk of heart and circulation related issues and stroke.
- Renal Diseases: The risk of kidney-related Issues like diabetic nephropathy increases
- Hypoglycemia: With artificial regulation of insulin come issues like hypoglycemia. It is a condition in which the body sugar dips below the required level, which is a danger to the body in itself. When the sugar levels dive often, the brain’s ability to sense it becomes blunt. This means that gradually a person may not realize that the glucose levels are low and may not be able to correct it in time.
- Amputation: Diabetes also affects the healing of wounds, especially on feet and legs. The impaired circulation is to be blamed for it, but it leads to more complications. If the wounds are not tended to properly, they can become so infected that amputation may be necessary.
- Neuropathy: Diabetes may also cause balance problems and loss of sensation in limbs.
- Vision Loss: Diabetic retinopathy is another issue in which the retina of the eye is gradually damaged.
How to avoid these complications?
Lifestyle changes are important if you want to avoid the above-mentioned complications and more. Sleep deprivation, smoking, and high stress can worsen the prognosis of type 1 diabetes. While high stress and lack of sleep can spike glucose levels, smoking can compound kidney and cardiovascular issues.
Thus, other than following the habits mentioned below, it is important to quit smoking, eat healthy, sleep for 7-9 hours a day and manage stress with yoga or meditation:
- Visit your doctor regularly
- Be vigilant with your blood sugar levels
- Check sugar levels before and after important activities
- Get annual eye, kidney check-up, along with one for possible nerve damage
Diet
The diet for managing type one diabetes is no different from the usual healthy diet. The only stipulation is that the patient must mind the number of carbohydrates that they are consuming. Healthy options like vegetables, legumes, whole grains, dairy products and fruits, all contain carbohydrates, making it imperative to keep a count since the insulin needed to process the food is directly linked to the food consumed. Other than these, the body also requires healthy fats and proteins as well.
Exercise and Type 1 Diabetes
In type 1 diabetes, the chance of hypoglycemia increases during and after exercise due to the following reasons:
- The store of glycogen in the muscles is significantly depleted
- The insulin injections do not allow glycogen to be released by the liver
- As you are not eating, the sugar levels in the body are not leveled out
However, exercising is an important part of diabetes management. You should talk to your doctor before switching to an exercise routine and check your sugar levels before and after the session.