Type 1 diabetes is a disease associated with blood sugar. This autoimmune disease develops when the beta cells in the pancreas are mistakenly destroyed by immune processes, making the body produce less of the enzyme required for regulating blood glucose levels. As the beta cells continue to be destroyed, the body’s capacity to produce the important enzyme reduces, and the symptoms of type 1 diabetes begin to appear. Scientists are yet to discover what makes the immune system destroy the beta cells. Nevertheless, research has found compelling evidence that this type of diabetes could be brought by genetic predisposition having an environmental trigger.
The signs of diabetes appear after a few days or weeks. The test for the autoimmune disease is quite simple. The doctor tests the patient’s urine or blood. The medical practitioner has to determine the type of diabetes the patient is suffering to ensure that the correct medicine is administered. If the doctor is not able to determine the type of diabetes through the simple test, more tests are carried out. The tests include C-peptide, GAD autoantibodies, and the Ketone test. Below are some of the most common symptoms of this autoimmune disease.
1. Excessive Thirst
This is among the initial symptoms of diabetes. It is also known as polydipsia. Excessive thirst is accompanied by prolonged or temporary dryness of the mouth. Everyone feels thirsty at times, and adequate intake of water is recommended to ensure the body functions normally. However, if a person feels thirsty all the time and the thirst is stronger than normal, and it doesn’t stop even after drinking water, it is a sign that all is not well with your body.
High blood glucose level causes excessive thirst in people with diabetes or those yet to be diagnosed with diabetes. Those who are diagnosed should test their blood glucose levels when they experience polydipsia to determine whether it is higher than normal.
Since everyone has felt thirsty before, when the feeling intensifies, do not ignore. Instead, seek medical advice and have a blood glucose level test performed.
2. Fatigue
According to a new Dutch study, the prevalence of fatigue in diabetic patients is very high. The most astonishing fact is that fatigue is not associated with blood glucose levels. This could be clarified by the fact that tiredness is a multifactorial.
Some of the signs and symptoms of exhaustion in diabetic people include mental tiredness (depression), lack of energy, and difficulties when performing simple tasks.
3. Sweating
People with diabetes are prone to excessive sweating which may lead to health complications such as dehydration. Excessive sweating is linked to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level). When the blood glucose levels drop below the normal range, it triggers a flight or fight response from the body. The body produces more adrenaline and norepinephrine hormones. As a result, the person sweats heavily and is anxious. When in this state, it is essential to get the blood sugar level back to normal immediately. The person can regain the normal level by taking glucose tablets or candy.
Sweating could also be caused by hyperthyroidism, a common metabolic condition among diabetic people. This condition is also triggered by hormones which increase the metabolic rate of the body. As a result, the person becomes extremely nervous and sweats heavily.
Diabetic people are at higher rates of getting cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. The risks are even higher if the diabetes patient is overweight or obese.
4. Nausea
Nausea and vomiting are signs of several health conditions such as diabetes. As the blood sugar level drops, metabolism process is disrupted leading to nausea, a feeling of being sick in the stomach.
Diabetic people are at a higher risk of getting gastroparesis, a medical condition that causes the delay in digestion and pancreatitis, the swelling of the pancreas. One of the main symptoms of gastroparesis and pancreatitis is nausea.
5. Excessive Urination
Frequent urination is a common symptom of type 1 diabetes. The condition is also known as polyuria. It is associated with frequent urination mostly in large volumes than normal. This is one of the sign of diabetes in undiagnosed patients.
Excessive urination is very dangerous and could lead to extreme dehydration and malfunction of the kidney. In diabetes, excessive urination occurs when the patient has an excess blood glucose level. People with excessive urination should seek medical attention immediately as prolonged polyuria eventually leads to kidney problems.
Naturally, when blood is circulating in the kidney, all the sugar is reabsorbed back into the bloodstream by active transport. However, in type 1 diabetes, most of the sugar is not reabsorbed. The excessive sugar pulls more water from the blood, and it is eliminated from the body as urine.
6. Blurred Vision
Blurred vision is among the first signs of diabetes. The vision becomes blurred because some fluid is trickling into the lens of the eye making it swell and lose shape. The changes in the shape of the lens cause blurred vision. It is also common to have a blurred vision after starting the polypeptide hormone treatment. This is as a result of shifting fluids. Normally, it resolves after some time.
Diabetic retinopathy is the medical term used to refer to the retinal problems caused by diabetes. The retinal disorders include proliferative retinopathy and macular edema.
Blurred vision can also be caused by glaucoma. Results documented from a study conducted by the National Eye Institute showed that people with diabetes have a higher risk of glaucoma compared to other people.
7. Fast Heart Rate
Low blood sugar levels in the blood cause the heart to beat fast. Hypoglycemia increases the heartbeat by sympathoadrenal stimulation. In simple terms, diabetes triggers flight or fight response which causes the release of adrenaline hormone. Adrenaline hormone and potassium cause the heart to have an irregular heart rate. Fast heart rate linked to hypoglycemia can lead to deadly diabetes complications.
Diabetes also causes fast heart rate by accelerating the process of hardening the walls of the arteries (atherosclerosis). This affects the rate at which blood flows in the arteries of the circulatory system, eventually causing blood pressure.
8. Headache
A headache alone is not a cause for alarm. However, in diabetic people, it could signal that the blood glucose level is fluctuating from the normal. The main categories of headache are primary and secondary. Primary head pains occur when blood vessels, muscles, nerves or brain cells around the head transmit pain signals to the brain. Tension and migraine are the main examples of primary headache.
Secondary head pain is not caused by the transmission of pain signals to the brain. It is caused by medical diseases and conditions such as diabetes. Head pains caused by diabetes occur frequently, and the pain varies from moderate to severe. The main relief to this head pain is regulating the sugar level in the blood. Also, the person could take pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Doctors do not have a standard way or categorizing the severity of head pain. They classify headaches depending on how much it affects the person’s ability to carry out their daily tasks. Head pains for people with hypoglycemia are sudden, and the pain becomes severe as the blood sugar lowers. When untreated, head pains brought about by hypoglycemia could lead to life-threatening health complications such as coma and seizure.
9. Sleepiness
Low blood sugar level leads to reduced energy in the body and causes sleepiness. The body has a slow circulation of blood which deprives the cells nutrients and oxygen. Without oxygen or energy, the cells function slowly or do not function all. With less energy to move around or perform normal tasks, the diabetic person tends to be sleepy all the time. Also, hypothyroidism, a condition associated with diabetes makes people feel depressed, tired and sleepy.
10. Weight Loss
This is one of the warning signs of type 1 diabetes. It is normal to add or lose weight now and then. However, if you lose significant weight and you are not on a weight loss program, there is a problem with your body.
Hypoglycemia is associated with inadequate polypeptide hormone in the body. People with this condition have less glucose from the blood getting into the cells to provide energy. The body is necessitated to burn muscles and fats to provide the cells with energy to perform normal activities. As a result, the overall body weight reduces significantly within a short period.
If a diabetic patient deliberately omits polypeptide hormone, he/she might experience sudden weight loss. This is dangerous and could lead to lifelong diabetes complication.
Type 1 diabetes is more common in young adults and children, but adults can also get it. Currently, there is no proved way to prevent type 1 diabetes.
