Type 1 diabetes - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages... This causes deficiency of insulin in the body. Introduction Type 1 diabetes is a major disease in young adults and children. Experts previously recognized it as juvenile diabetes because those diagnosed were mostly young people. Type 1 diabetes describes a diabetic condition where the body lacks producing any insulin. Insulin is necessary in converting starches, sugar and other foods into energy that the body requires. This type of diabetes is not common among people suffering from diabetes. Only around five percent of diabetes patients suffer from type 1 diabetes. The best treatment for the condition is insulin therapy. This type of therapy and various treatments allows a person to manage the condition and live a healthier life (Drake, Smith, Betts & Crowne, 2002). The paper looks at how lack of insulin causes the development of type 1 diabetes and for the best treatment recommended in managing the condition. Type 1 Diabetes Type 1 diabetes forms when the pancreatic glands produce less or no insulin when a person suffers from type 1 diabetes. Insulin is a hormone produced that lets sugar enter cells to generate energy. When the body starts resisting insulin effects, it results to type 2 diabetes. The various signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes include extreme hunger, enhanced thirst, recurrent urination, fatigue, and weight loss. Some causes of type 1 diabetes include exposure to specific viruses or genetics. However, the exact cause of this condition is not clear. Most people develop type 1 diabetes because their immune system starts destroying insulin instead of fighting viruses and other harmful bacteria, which mainly occur due to genetics (Garg, 2011). The condition may be prevalent in young people, however; it can also develop during adulthood. There has been a lot of research carried out to determine the best treatment for diabetes. However, there is no cure for the condition. The best a person can do is to manage it and prevent severe cases such as type 2 diabetes. Insulin Types of insulin depend on their speed of effectiveness, when they peak and the amount of time they last. The strengths of insulin have different levels with the most general being U-100 (Gillespie, 2006). The United States manufactures insulin, however; it is possible to use animal insulin (Gillespie, 2006). The pancreas has beta cells that make and release insulin hormones with every meal. Insulin assists the body in using and storing blood glucose it receives from food. A person suffering from type 1 diabetes no longer produces insulin because the beta cells in the pancreas no longer work. The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is that type 2 diabetes produces insulin, but the body fails to respond to it (Drake, Smith, Betts & Crowne, 2002). The best way to receive insulin medication is through direct injections into the fat under the skin. There are different types of insulin that a person can inject to manage type 1 diabetes. Rapid-acting insulin starts working five minutes after its injection and continues for about four hours afterwards. Regular insulin is short acting since it gets to the bloodstream after 30minutes, but it is more effective than rapid-acting insulin because it continues to work for six hours. There is intermediate and long acting insulin that work four hours and ten hours after injection, respectively (Gillespie, 2006). The longer the time any type of insulin takes to starts acting the ...Download file to see next pagesRead More