There are two main ways to take insulin.

Type 1 Diabetes

This fact sheet is for people who have type 1 diabetes, or would like information about it.

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition in which the body can not control the amount of glucose in the blood. Because the body can not produce insulin, a hormone naturally. If left untreated, symptoms include excessive thirst, large urine and weight loss.

About Type 1 Diabetes
Types of diabetes
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes
Complications of Type 1 diabetes
Causes of type 1 diabetes
The diagnosis of type 1 diabetes
Treatment of type 1 diabetes
Questions and answers
Related Topics
More info
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About Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is also known as diabetes mellitus.

Glucose and insulin

Glucose is a simple sugar foods and soft drinks - it is absorbed as a natural part of digestion.

A function of your blood is to carry glucose around the body. When glucose when the body tissues, like muscle cells, it is absorbed and converted into energy. The concentration of glucose in the blood is automatically regulated and insulin is important for this.

Insulin helps cells absorb glucose, which is then converted into energy. A lack of insulin leads to accumulation of glucose in the blood then.

Insulin secreted into the blood by the pancreas - a gland behind the stomach. Type 1 diabetes develops when cells in the pancreas that produce insulin - called beta cells - are destroyed by the immune system to clean your body. For this reason, Type 1 diabetes is known as an autoimmune disease.

Structure of pancreas

Types of diabetes

There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2 About two million people in Britain suffer from diabetes. Diabetes type 1 is the rarest form, which affects between five and 10 100 people with diabetes.

The symptoms of type 1 diabetes

Initial symptoms include:

weight loss
urination
constant thirst
fatigue
blurred vision
itching of the skin around the genitals or infections such as thrush common

The symptoms can develop quickly - often within a few weeks. In particular, marked weight loss, often over a short period of two to eight weeks the characteristic symptom of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The other symptoms mentioned above can occur in two types.

Complications of Type 1 diabetes

If type 1 diabetes is not diagnosed and properly controlled, can develop high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). Sometimes the treatment itself can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Both conditions can cause complications.

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia may occur if you agree or do not eat NOK foods containing glucose while you are taking insulin. It can also happen if you take too much insulin, causing cells to take more glucose and therefore levels of glucose in the blood falls.

If your blood sugar in the blood, usually defined as having less 4mmol/litre, you may feel dizzy, sweaty, and felt his heart beating. If you do not treat eating or drinking something sweet, it can cause confusion, collapse and even coma. This is often called a "hypo".

High blood sugar

Most patients will develop high blood sugar from time to time. It will settle, either on its own initiative or in response to a change in dose of insulin you take. Rarely, glucose accumulates in the blood and reach dangerous levels if you do not have NOK insulin in the blood. This condition is called diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis causes additional symptoms, including:

Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Rapid breathing
Breath that smells of ketones - which pear drops or nail varnish
DKA requires urgent medical treatment in hospitals. Otherwise, the state lead to coma and even death.

In the long term poorly controlled high blood sugar is extremely harmful to your health and may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage and blindness. The risk of blindness is reduced significantly over the past 20 years because of advances in the treatment of products for the specialist and more insulin. It is now also a better understanding of the function of the body is affected by diabetes.

Causes of type 1 diabetes

The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. However, it is possible that can be triggered by a virus or other autoimmune diseases, or it can be in your family.

The diagnosis of type 1 diabetes

If you think you can develop diabetes, consult your doctor. It is important to seek help early so that you can get the treatment you need.

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine you. He or she may also ask you questions about your medical history. Your doctor may ask for a sample of urine so that he or she can test for glucose. Urine usually does not contain glucose, but it can be detected if you are diabetic. Otherwise, your doctor may test a sample of blood taken from your fingertip - which tends to give a more accurate result.

You may also be asked to undergo a blood test to measure the level of glucose in the blood. This can be a test of fasting glucose, which is taken after you have not eaten for at least eight hours, or a random glucose test done at any time.

If your doctor can not make a final diagnosis after these tests, you can have a test of glucose tolerance. This measures the changes in the level of glucose in the blood over time after swallowing a sweet drink. You should stay a day before having this test.

If you are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you are usually directed at a clinic at the hospital that the nurses and doctors who specialize in diabetes.

Treatment of type 1 diabetes

This is not a remedy for type 1 diabetes, but can be controlled.

Drugs

Giving insulin to your body can control type 1 diabetes. This allows the glucose to be absorbed into cells and converted to energy, stops and accumulates in the blood.

There are different types of insulin that work at different speeds and act for different lengths of time. Each can have success rates of different people - ask your doctor or diabetes specialist nurse for advice about which type is best for you.

There are two main ways to take insulin.

Insulin injections are the most common form of treatment, where insulin is injected under the skin. You will often give you two to four times per day, with a small syringe needle or a pen-type syringe with refillable cartridges.
Portable insulin pumps can be suitable for you if you find it difficult to control blood sugar levels with regular injections despite careful monitoring of their level. It is the size of a deck of cards and can be attached to your belt. Insulin pumps can be programmed to inject insulin at a rate that you can control. But it is not appropriate for most people with diabetes.
Your doctor will give the best for you.

Self-help

Controlling blood sugar
If you have diabetes, it is very important to carefully monitor your blood sugar in the blood to be as healthy as possible. However, you will probably be a "hypo"