Treatment of type 1 diabetes

The type 1 diabetes is characterized by the body's inability to produce insulin it needs to move glucose into cells of all tissues and transform it into energy. The immediate consequence is that either the glucose produced by the body itself or coming from the food you eat, accumulates in the blood.

Assuming that a person with diabetes will remain the rest of his life, the treatment oftype 1 diabetes , therefore, it is to maintain the presence of glucose in the blood at normal levels. To do this you must see different aspects:

1) Provide the body the insulin it needs

Insulin can not be administered orally because it would be destroyed by gastric juices around the stomach and therefore could not fulfill its function of reducing the concentration of blood glucose by facilitating transport to the cells. That is why all patients with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin at least once a day and may reach up to four.

The type (different types differ in how quickly they begin to have effect) and the amount of insulin to be injected will depend on the characteristics of each patient (considering food and the amount of exercise you do).

  

• Syringes for single use: are traditional, with very fine needles, which are loaded with insulin dose prescribed by your doctor. It is advisable to puncture in the abdomen, arms or thighs, avoiding skin folds and abdominal midline, where the navel is included. It is also recommended that the injection is always in the same area, changing the puncture point about two centimeters of above.
• Prefilled syringes: syringes are come already loaded with the required doses.
• Insulin injection pens: devices are pen-shaped, in which a cartridge containing insulin dose required is introduced, so they are reusable.
• Insulin Pump: small portable devices are fast acting insulin administered 24 hours a day, through a tube that is implanted under the skin. The amount of insulin administered by the apparatus is adjusted according to the needs of each patient.

2) Follow a specific diet for diabetics

diet of a person with type 1 diabetes is closely related to the dose of insulin you take and your level of physical activity. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are three main types of nutrients found in foods are the main food groups that should be present in a diet to provide the energy needed, but keep in mind that those are carbohydrates more help to raise the presence of glucose in the blood. However, insulin and exercise let reduce.

Hence diet plan of a diabetic will be designed to provide the necessary nutrients but balancing the supply of sugar to the dose of insulin and exercise being performed. You can eat almost anything, but in the indicated amounts and at the times determined for a total of five daily meals. The diabetic must learn how and what to eat, in order to establish a certain flexibility in the diet that allows even enjoy special occasions (parties, weddings, etc.), provided that the blood glucose levels are kept figures normal.

3) Practice regular exercise

Physical activity helps to reduce levels of blood glucose, which is an essential part of the treatment of type 1 diabetes . Any kind of exercise is good, but should avoid strenuous exercise, as is the If the weights. Only keep in mind that sometimes can occur hypoglycaemia (rapid drop in blood sugar) or hyperglycaemia (rapid rise in blood glucose), so you must know how to avoid them and how to act in the event that occur.

4) Check several times a day blood glucose levels

in a diabetic, the blood glucose levels must be maintained in normal numbers and the best way to ensure this happens is to do a control test several times a day (up to four), which will be determined by the physician based on the characteristics of each patient.

  

Compliance with the treatment plan will allow the patient to stay healthy and avoid long-term complications of the disease. You should never forget that there is not just this insulin, but food and exercise are important part of it. It is ultimately define and establish a way of life in which continuous monitoring of blood glucose determine the possible need to modify the overall treatment plan.