What you need to know about type 1 diabetes.

Most people know that until a few decades ago, type 1 diabetes was considered a deadly disease. But thanks to the discovery of insulin, people stopped dying because of this disease as they could live up to 69 years old.

However, diabetes should not be taken lightly because people suffering from this illness have to make sure that they have a healthy lifestyle consisting of an excellent diet and physical activity. According to Curtis Story, trained member of the A1C Champions Program, supported by the Sanofi United States, the diabetes treatment plan includes medications, exercise, and diet.

The A1C Champions program promotes diabetes education, and it raises awareness about this diseases. Also, it provides the public with additional information about the diabetes self-management program based on their personal experiences and formal training.

Scientists define diabetes as a widespread and chronic health condition which consists of high blood sugar levels. The body does not produce insulin right, or it does not produce enough of it to control the blood sugar levels.

Insulin is the hormone that transports sugar (glucose) from the blood into every cell of the body. In other words, this transport provides the body with enough energy for every other activity. Based on the statistics, around 29.1 million Americans are currently living with diabetes.

Worse, 8.1 million of these people have not been diagnosed yet as they live with the disease entirely unaware of it. Around 40 percent of the Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes didn’t achieve the blood sugar control target A1C< 7 percent, according to scientists from the American Diabetes Association.

The target of A1C < 7 percent represents the recommended and the safest percentage which every diabetes patient should have. Also, every person with diabetes should make an A1C test at every two or three months to check their average blood sugar levels.

Experts underline that insulin has several side-effects, but the most important one is hypoglycemia, meaning low blood sugar levels. That is why insulin level must always be controlled, to avoid any possible risks.

Other side-effects include rashes, itching, allergic reactions, changes in fat tissue at the injection, and other injection site reactions.

Scientists strongly recommend people suffering type 1 diabetes and any other type of diabetes to tell their doctors about every supplement and medicine they take because these medicines can affect the way insulin injection works. Also, every patient should always monitor the blood sugar levels.

Image Source:Medical Daily