Type 1 diabetes account for about 10 percent of the total number of diabetes patients, with type 2 of the disease on the other hand claiming the largest percentage at around 90 percent of the total number of cases reported.
Diabetes care for patients with type 1 of the disease is a little different from the diabetes care given to type 2 diabetics. This is basically as a result of the difference in causes of the two varieties of the ailment.
People who are suffering from Type I diabetes will be having pancreases that are producing insulin hormone in insufficient amounts not able to sustain the insulin needs of these individuals. This condition is often as a result of damage caused to the cells inside the pancreas that are responsible for the secretion of this essential chemical substance. At times, these people may be having their pancreases produce no insulin at all. Bottom line is, the level of insufficiency of the insulin hormone secreted by the pancreas depends on how much damage has been caused to the organ.
The exact cause of the damage often caused by the body’s immunity mistaking these cells for foreign materials is yet to be established. Existing information however point to heredities and certain inherent disorders as some of the causes of the condition.
Role of Insulin in Diabetes Care
Without insulin, the levels of blood sugar will rise. This is because insulin often performs two functions with regard to blood glucose, one, it unlocks the cells in your body to take in the glucose for energy metabolism. Two, the hormone encourages the conversion of the excess glucose into fats which are inert.
Without hormone insulin, the cells will have no mechanism to accept the needed glucose. This is what consequently results in the glucose staying in your bloodstream given nowhere to go. While you continue eating meals, more sugar is generated and directed into the bloodstream which in turn causes the glucose levels to be on the rise.
Treatment and Diabetes Care for Type 1 Cases
Diabetes care among type 1 diabetes cases requires a plan aimed at maintaining healthy levels of glucose to avert the complications developed over time. Treatment therefore involves administering the patient with insulin as prescribed by their doctor. Specific doses are taken regularly throughout the day.
The person suffering from Type I diabetes also needs to change their diet, and check the amount of sugar that goes in. their diet is mostly prescribed by their doctor and should be strictly followed as part of the diabetes care program. Those who are reported to make drastic changes in their diets to accommodate the doctor’s directives and incorporate regular physical activity into their sugar disease treatment plan greatly reduce the required amount of insulin that is essential for the maintenance of a healthy body.