Type 1 diabetes develops because the cells in the pancreas are not producing enough or any insulin to process the food in the body into energy. The only way to fix this is to inject insulin into the body to replace the insulin the body should be producing on its own. Type 1 diabetes is also known as Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) and requires insulin treatment for the patient to survive. This is done by via insulin injections.
There are two different types of insulin that can be used and in most cases a combination of the two is required. There is fast-acting insulin that is taken and it will start working immediately or within 30 minutes after taking it. This insulin is good for the beginning of the day before breakfast. If your body goes through the insulin quickly another injection of the fast-acting insulin may be required before dinner time. The other type of insulin is long-lasting. It can be mixed with the fast-acting and injected at the same time but can take upwards of 2-3 hours before it takes affect. Taking this insulin the morning should work for lunch or dinner time meals.
If multiple needles to not appeal to you, an insulin pump is another option. It is a machine that will pump fast-acting insulin into your system as needed. Prior to meal times, a button can be pressed to inject an extra dose of insulin to process the food that is going to be eaten. Some find this method offers greater flexibility, a benefit that outweighs the fact the pump has to be worn 24 hours a day.
The other piece of the treatment puzzle is a balanced diabetic diet. In addition to the insulin injections the food that is consumed is very important. If the proper food is not eaten, blood sugar levels will rise and so will insulin requirements.
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