“So young and already diabetic? And what – immediately put on insulin? Didn’t they even try to cure it with pills?” . Such words are often heard by people with type 1 diabetes and parents of children with diabetes. In fact, these questions hide ordinary human ignorance. Let’s explain why.
First, diabetes is an incurable disease. It can be compensated by keeping sugar levels normal. But, unfortunately, not a single case of cure for type 1 diabetes is known to science today.
Secondly, type 1 diabetes in most cases occurs in children and young people under 40 years of age.
Type 1 diabetes is due to the fact that the human immune system, for some reason, begins to attack its own body, destroying the pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. Insulin is a vital hormone, without it a person will not live long. Therefore, for people with type 1 diabetes, it must be administered externally. Tablets are intended for people with type 2 diabetes – they improve the action of their own insulin, which for some reason has ceased to function correctly. And if there is no insulin at all (in the case of DM 1), then it will not work to improve its action with tablets.
For people diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, the only treatment that offers a chance for a long and fulfilling life is insulin therapy!
“Honeymoon”
“And a friend of my second cousin’s neighbor’s husband was able to “jump off” insulin – try not to inject yourself either . ” This is very dangerous advice for your life! Why do people keep talking about it?
Most likely, in this case we are talking about remission of type 1 diabetes – this period is also called the “honeymoon”. Indeed, in some adults and children, this condition occurs some time after the start of insulin therapy. During the honeymoon, a person’s sugars are mostly within the normal range, insulin doses are noticeably reduced, and sometimes you even have to give up insulin or one of its types in order not to hypovate .
All this is due to the fact that your beta cells (from the onset of diabetes and before you got to the doctor) were working at the limit, and by starting insulin therapy, you kind of supported them, gave the pancreas a “breath”. And thanks to this, she can still produce insulin herself for some time. For some, such a period lasts a month or two, for others it can be a year, and for others it may not be at all.
But, unfortunately, this state is always temporary. Therefore, even during the “honeymoon”, it is important for a person with type 1 diabetes to measure blood sugar daily with a glucometer – in order to “catch” the end of remission in time and prevent hyperglycemia (high blood glucose (sugar) levels).
All this means only one thing: insulin is a real salvation for people with type 1 diabetes, and in no case is it a burden ! Indeed, thanks to him, you can compensate (keep blood glucose normal) for your diabetes and not limit yourself in everyday life: travel, work, play sports – just live!