You and your doctor should monitor your health for long-term complications of diabetes.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.
You and your doctor should monitor
your health for serious
complications of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes begins with a glitch in the immune system. When your immune system detects a germ or anything else that it does not recognize as part of the body, it fires off white blood cells and antibodies to engulf and destroy the intruder. In the case of type 1 diabetes, your immune system mistakenly unleashes an assault on the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. As these cells die, insulin production slows down or even stops completely.

Insulin is responsible for helping glucose, the body's fuel, enter cells where it is used for energy. When there's not enough insulin to help glucose get into cells, the level of glucose in the blood builds up, causing symptoms of diabetes.

As your blood glucose level increases, your body pulls water out of the blood so that it can get rid of excess glucose in the urine (making you thirsty and needing to go to the bathroom frequently). Meanwhile, your cells are screaming for fuel (triggering the feeling of hunger). Until they get glucose, your cells switch to alternate sources of energy, so the body starts to run on fat (resulting in weight loss).  But this is just the beginning. Over the long term, an elevated blood glucose level can lead to more serious diabetic complications, such as:

Heart Disease
When glucose builds up in the blood, it wreaks havoc on the blood vessels, which can lead to multiple vascular problems. Learn more about how type 1 diabetes affects heart disease.

Diabetic Neuropathy
Learn more about how type 1 diabetes causes injury to the nerves, called neuropathy, throughout the body. Diabetic neuropathy is also the root cause of many of the other diabetes complications, such as foot, eye, and digestive problems.

Diabetic Kidney Disease
It's critical to catch kidney failure -- one of the most common complications of type 1 diabetes -- before it progresses. Learn more about type 1 diabetes and kidney disease.

Foot Problems
It's not unusual for the feet to take a beating. On this page, you will find out why simple cuts and blisters on the feet are a special concern for people with type 1 diabetes.

Diabetic Retinopathy
If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can eventually result in blindness. Learn how high blood sugar can damage the sensitive tissues of the eye.

Digestive Problems
Learn about the symptoms of type 1 diabetes that indicate damage to the gastrointestinal system; these can range from mild to serious.

Bladder Problems
Learn about how type 1 diabetes can cause troubling or inconvenient bladder problems, such as loss of bladder control and frequent urination. You can also find out about the nerve damage caused by type 1 diabetes that can lead to urinary tract infections.

Sexual Dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction can be embarrassing, but it can also indicate serious problems in the body. Learn about the how the same vascular problems that result in sexual dysfunction affect other blood vessels in your body.

Psychological Issues
Living with type 1 diabetes can wear on the mind -- just as it does the body. Learn why it's important to care for your mental health while managing type 1 diabetes.

Skin Problems
Skin is the body's first line of defense against would-be invaders like bacteria. Find out more about why type 1 diabetes increases the likelihood of skin problems.

Hypoglycemia
The result of managing your blood sugar a little too succesfully, hypoglycemia means your blood sugar level has dropped too low, and cells don't get the fuel they need. Learn about how to recognize the signs and then deal with hypoglycemia.

Hyperglycemia
This term can refer to a case of acute, very high blood sugar that can lead to other serious conditions. Learn about how to manage hyperglycemia.

For more information on diabetes in general, try the following links:
  • To learn more about diabetes in general, including diagnosis, causes, symptoms, and treatment, visit our main Diabetes page.
  • Our main Type 1 Diabetes page will tell you more about this form of diabetes, commonly called, "juvenile diabetes."
  • To find out more about type 2 diabetes, which has reached the level of national health epidemic, go to our main Type 2 Diabetes page.

 

Suggestions for a Diabetic Diet
One of the most important aspects of treating and controlling diabetes is monitoring the food you take into your body. However, there may be more wiggle room than you think. To learn more about proper nutrition and diabetes, try the following links:
  • Our main Diabetic Diet page will show you which food groups are diabetes-friendly and which ones you should avoid.  
  • Visit our Diabetic Recipes page to find simple, delicious meals you can make that won't send our blood sugar into a tailspin.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.