Most people, if they think about diabetes, tend to bring to mind a person needing to have regular injections of insulin to keep their blood glucose levels stable. For people with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, that image would be completely correct, because that’s essentially what they have to do on a daily basis as part of their diabetes treatment program. Although insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is the most recognized type of diabetes, it’s also the least common. It used to be known as childhood-onset or juvenile diabetes, but these days more adults than ever are also developing this serious condition, so it is now more commonly referred to as type 1 diabetes.
Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is a disease that, for no known reason, leads the body to kill off beta cells in the pancreas. These cells are what produce insulin, a hormone that’s critical for regulating your blood sugar. The disease permanently obliterates those cells. That means that once they’re gone, they won’t regenerate. That’s why insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition. An absence of insulin in the system can do a lot of harm to your body. It creates a significant increase in the amount of glucose in the blood. Sadly, there’s no cure for it, although it can be managed effectively.
One of the first symptoms you might notice of diabetes mellitus is sweet smelling urine, which is caused by your high blood sugar levels. You will also be unusually thirsty and urinate more frequently.
If left untreated, this form of diabetes can result in death. Individuals who acquire this condition need to give themselves insulin injections regularly to maintain stable blood glucose levels. They must keep with them at all times a portable meter that monitors their blood sugar levels. They also need to carry around small doses of insulin that they can inject themselves with if required.
As a new treatment method, researchers are studying something known as islet cell transferring. Essentially, cells are taken from a deceased individual’s pancreas and implanted in the pancreas of a diabetic. The procedure has shown some success in that the cells are often accepted by the diabetic’s body and occasionally new cell growth resumes. However, it also has a number of drawbacks. For example, the diabetic requires more islet cells than can be donated by a single deceased individual. For every person who undergoes the procedure, at least two donated pancreases are required.
Those who acquire insulin dependent diabetes mellitus will need to manage their glucose levels for the rest of their lives. Fortunately, however, with proper management of the condition, these people can live a long and healthy life.