Introduction
Overall, diabetes is a condition which has affected a majority of people over the decades from children to senior citizens. Notably, diabetes is a chronic condition in which one’s body is unable to produce insulin or is unable to use the insulin produced by the body properly. The primary focus of this essay, however, is diabetes type 1 which is a form of diabetes mellitus, whereby there is hardly enough insulin produced by the body. To better understand how it affects the body, the paper will evaluate the normal anatomy and physiology of insulin in persons who are not affected by the condition. Thereafter, the paper will then provide in detail the pathophysiology of diabetes type 1, which will be inclusive of the signs and symptoms of the diseases, the causes, and treatment of the disease.
Normal Anatomy and Physiology of Insulin
Insulin is a hormone which regulates glucose levels in the blood to ensure the normal functioning of the body. In essence, its main work is to lower the glucose levels in the blood to maintain a healthy balance. A point to note is that hormones are chemical substances whose primary function is to regulate body cells and are primarily produced by some special organs in the body. Thus, the main organ which is responsible for producing insulin in the body is the pancreas.
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To be more specific, the production of insulin takes place in the beta cells located in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. In the Beta Cells, insulin is synthesized from a “single amino acid chain precursor molecule,” (Bilous & Donnelly, 2010), which is called the proinsulin. The synthesis begins with the formation of very large precursors preproinsulin, which are then cleaved by some protease activities to the proinsulin. Glucose is the primary stimulator that leads to the release of insulin from the beta cells. The release of insulin occurs in two phases; the first phase lasts for only a few minutes and is flowed closely by the second phase which is more sustainable. The first phase of release of insulin is brought about the fusion of the plasma membrane with minor and readily “releasable pool of granules” (Bilous & Donnelly, 2010). In contrast, the second phase is triggered by nutrients exclusively.
When people take a meal, the carbohydrates in the meal are digested and broken down to its simplest form. Thus it ends up making glucose and other sugars. This is then passed to the bloodstream which in turn causes the blood sugar levels to build up. Insulin is then released to reduce the blood sugars by stimulating glycolysis, which is mainly the metabolism of the glucose in order to generate ATP (Bilous & Donnelly, 2010 . In addition to this, insulin helps the glucose levels to be reduced as it stimulates the liver to convert that excess glucose to glycogenolysis as well as gluconeogenesis (Bilous & Donnelly, 2010 . Furthermore, insulin helps to promote the synthesis of protein and triglyceride. Finally, when the blood sugar levels drop, the production of insulin is inhibited.
Pathophysiology of Diabetes type 1
In diabetes type 1, there is an autoimmune destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas, thus resulting in inadequate levels of insulin in the body (National Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions, 2004) . As a result, there is reduced inhibition of the gluconeogenesis as well as an overproduction of glucose by the liver. Essentially, the glucose can still pass to some tissues such as the nervous tissues and others which are not affected by insulin. However, the entry of glucose into insulin-responsive tissues, for example, the fat and muscle tissues is inhibited. Subsequently, this causes a rise in the plasma glucose levels which then exceeds makes the glucose transporters which are situated in the proximal renal tubes, not to absorb glucose before it is mixed with urine. Therefore, as the glucose flows through the renal tubules, there is an osmotic gradient which is created that takes some electrolytes including salt and hence they become lost in the body. With excessive urination, a person develops an intense thirst. This is attributed to the fact the glucose levels in the body are high.
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes Type 1
With regards to the above, diabetes type 1 can easily be identified as it presents the symptoms appended below.
Frequent Urination (Polyuria)
Polyuria is a condition in which the body urinates more than what is considered to be normal. For instance, a person passes over 5 liters of water on a daily basis. Evidently, diabetes type 1 is as a result of high blood sugars in the blood due to lack of adequate insulin to regulate it. As such, when the urine is filtering water to make urine, it reabsorbs the electrolytes and salts in the body. However, for persons which this condition, not all the sugars can be reabsorbed and this excess sugar ends up in the urine which in turn causes more water to be drawn thus resulting in polyuria. If care is not taken within a short duration, it can adversely affect the kidneys. It leads to the affected person suffering from severe dehydration.
Excessive Thirst (Polydipsia)
Polydipsia is the term given to excessive thirst experienced by individuals with diabetes type 1 (Karvonen et al., 2000) . It is usually one of the initial symptoms of the condition. This condition is commonly accompanied by having a prolonged or temporary dryness of the mouth. Consequently, the frequent urination causes dehydration making the person experience extreme thirst. This is because the body is getting rid of water in the body at a high rate making one’s body to lack adequate fluids in the body. In most cases, individuals experience unexplained thirst, regardless of a high intake of drinks.
Extreme Tiredness
Patients with diabetes type one, experience extreme tiredness which fails to disappear even when the person has ample rest (Grinstein et al., 2003) . Due to high sugar levels in the blood, a person is unable to get the glucose in the blood into their cells where it is needed to supply energy. As a result, the cells lack the energy to person basic duties which cause the individual to feel extreme fatigue. Therefore, individuals with these conditions often exhibit symptoms of fatigue such as lack of energy and mental fatigue, that is they are always feeling down. They are also unable to carry out simple tasks which they were to do previously.
Weight Loss
In addition to the above, people this condition experience unexplained weight loss which is unintentional. For instance, they may lose weight without dieting or even exercising. This can be explained in line with insufficient insulin levels in the body (Karvonen et al., 2000) . When the insulin levels are inadequate, the body is not able to get glucose from the bloodstream into the body cells so that it can be used for energy. As a result, the body starts burning the muscle and fat tissues to create energy for the body to use. It is for this reason that the body begins losing weight.
Blurry Vision
Furthermore, blurry vision is a common sign of individuals who have diabetes type 1. Blurry visions remain that the person is unable to have a sharp vision and see fine details as they previously did. High blood sugar levels affect one’s ability to see by making the eye lens to swell which in turn causes the blurry vision they experience (Karvonen et al., 2000) .
Causes
Diabetes type is known to occur when the body’s immune systems mistakenly destroy the islets of Langerhans cells instead of fighting other bacteria and viruses. However, the cause of this condition can be associated wt genetic predispositions. Some people have a genetic predisposition to this condition. As such, when they come into contact with possible triggers to the condition such as some vaccines, cow’s milk or lack of vitamin D, they end up developing the condition. Other researchers associate the condition to be as a result of viral infections. According to research, enterovirus antibodies were seen to be significantly high for parents whose babies, later on, develop diabetes type 1 (Grinstein et al., 2003).
Treatment
Once a person is diagnosed with this condition, they are often put on a treatment plan. The most common treatment of the condition is insulin injections administered every day using an insulin pump (Atkinson & Eisenbarth, 2001) . The blood sugar levels are also monitored in severally during the day to ensure that they do not rise more than normal. The patient is also advised to eating a healthy diet and ensures that carbohydrates are spread throughout the day. They are also advised to make regular visits to the hospitals for a checkup.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we diabetes type 1 is a form of diabetes mellitus which comes as a result of inadequate insulin in the body. The regular production of insulin is inhibited which in turn leads to the liver producing a lot of glucose which is released into the bloodstream. Subsequently, this leads to a lot of water lost as the body tries to get rid of the excess sugar in the blood and other symptoms. However, this condition can be managed through a proper treatment plan as outlined above.
References
Atkinson, M., & Eisenbarth, G. (2001). Type 1 diabetes: new perspectives on disease pathogenesis and treatment. The Lancet , 358 (9277), 221-229. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(01)05415-0
Bilous, R., & Donnelly, R. (2010). Handbook of diabetes . John Wiley & Sons.
Grinstein, G., Muzumdar, R., Aponte, L., Vuguin, P., Saenger, P., & DiMartino-Nardi, J. (2003). Presentation and 5-Year Follow-Up of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus in African-American and Caribbean-Hispanic Adolescents. Hormone Research In Paediatrics , 60 (3), 121-126. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000072523
Karvonen, M., Viik-Kajander, M., Moltchanova, E., Libman, I., LaPorte, R., & Tuomilehto, J. (2000). Incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes worldwide. Diabetes Mondiale (DiaMond) Project Group. Diabetes Care , 23 (10), 1516-1526. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/diacare.23.10.1516
National Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions. (2004). Type 1 diabetes in adults . London: Royal College of Physicians.
