When is type 1 diabetes usually diagnosed

To learn what you need to know, ask your doctor to refer you to diabetes self-management education and support DSMES services. All these things can affect your blood sugar levels.

Over time, having high blood sugar can cause serious health problems , such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney failure. But you can lower your risk for those health complications and others. Be an experimenter. See what works best for you by trying different things. Prepare a healthier version of a favorite dish or take a walk after you eat, and keep track of your blood sugar results. Your diabetes educator can suggest ideas for you to try that have worked for other people with type 1.

Time in range is how long your blood sugar stays in your target range throughout the day. Blood sugar levels change often during the day. If your blood sugar spikes very high and your insulin is low, you can develop diabetic ketoacidosis DKA , a serious complication of diabetes that can be life-threatening.

Your health care team will let you know how to identify and treat high and low blood sugar and related health problems. Be sure to get in touch with your doctor or diabetes educator if you have any questions. Keeping your blood sugar levels on target can help you avoid serious health problems like heart disease and nerve damage down the road.

And the treatment is usually quite different, too. Some people, especially adults who are newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, may have symptoms similar to type 2 diabetes and this overlap between types can be confusing. Take our Risk Test to find out if you are at increased risk for having type 2 diabetes.

In people with type 1 diabetes, the onset of symptoms can be very sudden, while in type 2 diabetes, they tend to come about more gradually, and sometimes there are no signs at all. Symptoms sometimes occur after a viral illness. In some cases, a person may reach the point of diabetic ketoacidosis DKA before a type 1 diagnosis is made.

DKA occurs when blood glucose is dangerously high and the body can't get nutrients into the cells because of the absence of insulin. The body then breaks down muscle and fat for energy, causing an accumulation of ketones in the blood and urine.

Symptoms of DKA include a fruity odor on the breath, heavy, taxed breathing and vomiting. If left untreated, DKA can result in stupor, unconsciousness, and even death. People who have symptoms—of type 1 or of DKA—should contact their health care provider immediately for an accurate diagnosis. The pancreas is an organ located in the upper abdomen, behind the stomach.

It secretes two hormones, insulin and glucagon, that help regulate the amount of sugar glucose in the blood. Insulin helps glucose enter the cells of the body. When glucose enters the cells, it can be used to produce energy, or it can be stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen for later use. Children with type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day — by injection or using an insulin pump — and regularly monitor their glucose levels.

Insulin cannot be taken by mouth because the digestive system would destroy it. By closely managing their blood sugar with insulin, diet, and exercise, most people with diabetes live long, healthy lives. Over a period of many years, high glucose levels can cause damage to the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

Lifelong insulin treatment is essential for people with type 1 diabetes. Your diabetes team will teach you how to balance insulin, food, and exercise to maintain safe and healthy blood glucose levels. Type 1 diabetes is caused by an immune system attack on the pancreas that impairs insulin production.

Experts are not sure why some children develop type 1 diabetes. If you have low blood sugar several times a week, talk to your doctor to see if your treatment needs to be changed. Diabetic ketoacidosis DKA is a serious complication of diabetes that can be life-threatening. Very high blood sugar and low insulin levels lead to DKA. The two most common causes are illness and missing insulin shots.

Talk with your doctor and make sure you understand how you can prevent DKA and how to treat it if needed. Whether you just got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes or have had it for some time, meeting with a diabetes educator is a great way to get support and guidance, including how to:. Ask your doctor about diabetes self-management education and support services and to recommend a diabetes educator.

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