Treatment FAQ

what is the treatment for type 1 diabetes

by Fatima Bergstrom I Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes: Taking insulin. Carbohydrate, fat and protein counting. Frequent blood sugar monitoring.

Medication

This section focuses on the medical management of type 1 diabetes. And as the term “medical management” implies, this management is done with the guidance of your medical provider and medical team. The key principles of medical management are: Regular blood sugar (and ketone) self monitoring as a part of daily living Taking insulin

Nutrition

Oct 20, 2021 · Utilizing research from the Melton Lab, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has developed VX-880, an investigational stem cell-derived, fully differentiated pancreatic islet cell replacement therapy for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

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Nov 20, 2017 · Insulin therapy itself is the basis in treatment of type 1 diabetes. Recent years have brought multiple solutions in the implementation of the treatment. New types of insulin, modern glycaemia monitoring, and insulin administration techniques revolutionized the capabilities of contemporary insulin therapy.

What to eat when you have type 1 diabetes?

What Is Type 1 Diabetes? Overview of causes, symptoms, and daily management. Just Diagnosed. The basics of everyday diabetes care for newly diagnosed people. Types of Insulin. Your guide to insulin types and how they work. 4 Ways To Take Insulin. Insulin pens, pumps, and 2 other methods for taking insulin.

How do you treat type 1 diabetes?

Mar 11, 2022 · If you have type 1 diabetes, you’ll need to take insulin shots (or wear an insulin pump) every day. Insulin is needed to manage your blood sugar levels and give your body energy. You can’t take insulin as a pill. That’s because the acid in your stomach would destroy it before it could get into your bloodstream.

Could this new treatment cure type 1 diabetes?

Oct 30, 2020 · Treatment for type 1 diabetes involves insulin injections or the use of an insulin pump, frequent blood sugar checks, and carbohydrate counting. Treatment of type 2 diabetes primarily involves lifestyle changes, monitoring of your blood sugar, along with diabetes medications, insulin or both. Monitoring your blood sugar.

How to avoid complications from Type 1 diabetes?

DRI researchers are working toward a biological cure for type 1 diabetes. A biological cure means treatment that would help the body start producing its own insulin again, restoring blood sugars to normal levels without introducing other risks. This research focuses on a process called islet transplantation.

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What is the best treatment for type 1 diabetes?

Insulin is the essential treatment to manage blood sugar in people with type 1 diabetes. There are many devices available to help you take insulin.

How is type 1 diabetes permanently treated?

Right now, there's no cure for diabetes, so people with type 1 diabetes will need treatment for the rest of their lives....Diabetes Treatment Basicstake insulin as prescribed.eat a healthy, balanced diet with accurate carbohydrate counts.check blood sugar levels as prescribed.get regular physical activity.

What is the first treatment for type 1 diabetes?

Insulin injected subcutaneously is the first-line treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). The different types of insulin vary with respect to onset and duration of action. Short-, intermediate-, and long-acting insulins are available.

Can type 1 diabetes be cured?

There isn't a cure yet for type 1 diabetes, but it's very treatable. You may have found out you have type 1 diabetes from a routine blood test. Or you may have had sudden and severe symptoms that led to a trip to the doctor or even the emergency room.Mar 25, 2021

Which is worse type 1 or 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is often milder than type 1. But it can still cause major health complications, especially in the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys, nerves, and eyes. Type 2 also raises your risk of heart disease and stroke.Dec 8, 2021

Are all type 1 diabetics skinny?

Type 1 diabetes is seen most often in children and young adults, although the disease can occur at any age. People with Type 1 disease are often thin to normal weight and often lose weight prior to diagnosis. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5-10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

How do you know if its type 1 or 2 diabetes?

The primary test used to diagnose both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is known as the A1C, or glycated hemoglobin, test. This blood test determines your average blood sugar level for the past 2 to 3 months. Your doctor may draw your blood or give you a small finger prick.

Can type 1 diabetics take pills instead of insulin?

Can diabetes pills help me? Only people with type 2 diabetes can use pills to manage their diabetes, people with type 1 diabetes must use insulin. These pills work best when used with meal planning and exercise. This way you have three therapies working together to lower your blood glucose levels.

What is the life expectancy of someone with type 1 diabetes?

The investigators found that men with type 1 diabetes had an average life expectancy of about 66 years, compared with 77 years among men without it. Women with type 1 diabetes had an average life expectancy of about 68 years, compared with 81 years for those without the disease, the study found.Jan 6, 2015

What are the three common causes of type 1 diabetes?

Some known risk factors for type 1 diabetes include:Family history. Anyone with a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes has a slightly increased risk of developing the condition.Genetics. The presence of certain genes indicates an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes.Geography. ... Age.

How does a person get type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction (the body attacks itself by mistake). This reaction destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, called beta cells. This process can go on for months or years before any symptoms appear.Mar 11, 2022

Can type 1 diabetes be controlled without medication?

So that's why people with type 1 diabetes cannot go “insulin free” no matter how carefully controlled their diet. But it's not a stupid question. Before the discovery of insulin, the only treatment for type 1 diabetes was the “starvation diet” which consisted of an extremely low-calorie diet and regular exercise.Nov 10, 2015

Overview

With type 1 diabetes, your pancreas loses the ability to make enough insulin, a hormone that helps the body absorb blood sugar, or glucose, and convert it to energy. When this happens, the sugar builds up in your blood.

Insulin

If your body is no longer producing enough insulin, you’ll need to take insulin every day to help regulate your blood sugar. Because glucose levels can fluctuate, people with type 1 diabetes usually need to check their blood sugar throughout the day to determine how much insulin they need to take.

Metformin

Metformin is an oral medication that is often prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes to help them control their glucose levels. This medication does not increase insulin in the body. Instead, it lowers glucose production, and also helps insulin work more effectively.

Medications

Your doctor might prescribe other medications, such as blood pressure medication, cholesterol-lowering medications, or aspirin. These medications don’t treat the diabetes itself, but help reduce the risk of other health problems that can be related to diabetes, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and kidney problems.

Artificial Pancreas

An artificial pancreas is a medical device that mimics the work of a real pancreas by monitoring your blood sugar levels and releasing insulin automatically. Instead of checking your glucose levels and injecting yourself throughout the day, you wear a sensor under your skin, a continuous glucose monitor, and an insulin pump.

Islet Cell Transplantation

Islet cell transplantation is a procedure that takes healthy insulin-producing cells from a donor pancreas, and transplants them into a person with type 1 diabetes.

Pancreas Transplant

In some cases, doctors can take a healthy transplant from a deceased donor, and transplant it into the body of someone with type 1 diabetes. While this procedure can restore the body’s natural insulin production, it’s also risky, because the medications you have to take to prevent your body from rejecting the pancreas can have serious side effects.

How is Type 1 diabetes managed?

Type 1 diabetes is managed through use of a variety of insulins. People with T1D must work closely with their medical team to find the right insulin treatment for their condition. Further information about the types of insulin and their effects are available on our insulin page.

How to help diabetics with T1D?

Eating well and exercising regularly are important. Ensuring proper nutritional intake and keeping a healthy weight help curb the effects of diabetic wear on the body.

What is the drug used to treat diabetes?

Metformin. Combined with insulin, diet and exercise, type 2 diabetes (T2D) drug metformin is sometimes prescribed to people with T1D to help treat their diabetes. Metformin helps control the body’s blood-sugar levels and how the liver processes sugar.

What is the purpose of blood sugar monitoring?

Monitoring lets a person know when insulin may be needed to correct high blood sugar or when carbohydrates may be needed to correct low blood sugar. Monitoring blood sugar can be done using traditional blood-sugar meters or continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).

Is pramlintide a hormone?

Used in conjunction with insulin, pramlintide is often prescribed after other medications prove not as effective as needed. It acts as a hormone to help the body better control blood sugar.

Can aspirin be used with insulin?

Medications for high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as aspirin can be prescribed with insulin to help the overall health and treatment of diabetes. Since people with diabetes have an increased chance of cardiovascular disease, these drugs are used in combination with other diabetes medications.

Can T1D cause hypoglycemia?

People can also experience lowered potassium levels and a risk of hypoglycemia. While these side effects can sound daunting, keep in mind that many people using these medications don’t experience serious side effects at all.

How to manage diabetes?

This section focuses on the medical management of type 1 diabetes. And as the term “medical management” implies, this management is done with the guidance of your medical provider and medical team. The key principles of medical management are: 1 Regular blood sugar (and ketone) self monitoring as a part of daily living 2 Taking insulin 3 Problem solving how and when to make adjustments in your food and insulin doses to prevent high or low blood sugars 4 Understanding complications and how to screen for, prevent and treat them

Why do you need to monitor your blood sugar?

You need to problem solve if the self blood sugar monitoring shows your treatment is not successful. The self blood sugar monitoring will indicate if you need to adjust the dose of insulin.

What is blood sugar monitoring?

Blood sugar & ketone monitoring: The tool that tells you whether your treatment is successful. Medications: Includes insulin, amylin analogs and use of the insulin pump. Self-management solutions: How to analyze what is causing you to have low blood sugars and/or high blood sugars. Complications:

What is medical management?

And as the term “medical management” implies, this management is done with the guidance of your medical provider and medical team. The key principles of medical management are: Regular blood sugar (and ketone) self monitoring as a part of daily living. Taking insulin. Problem solving how and when to make adjustments in your food ...

What is the cause of type 1 diabetes?

What Causes Type 1 Diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction (the body attacks itself by mistake) that destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, called beta cells. This process can go on for months or years before any symptoms appear.

How to prevent diabetes complications?

Keeping your blood sugar levels as close to target as possible will help you prevent or delay diabetes-related complications. Stress is a part of life, but it can make managing diabetes harder, including managing your blood sugar levels and dealing with daily diabetes care.

How to get diabetes educator?

Whether you just got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes or have had it for some time, meeting with a diabetes educator is a great way to get support and guidance, including how to: 1 Develop and stick to a healthy eating and activity plan 2 Test your blood sugar and keep a record of the results 3 Recognize the signs of high or low blood sugar and what to do about it 4 Give yourself insulin by syringe, pen, or pump 5 Monitor your feet, skin, and eyes to catch problems early 6 Buy diabetes supplies and store them properly 7 Manage stress and deal with daily diabetes care

Why do you need insulin every day?

If you have type 1 diabetes, you’ll need to take insulin shots (or wear an insulin pump) every day to manage your blood sugar levels and get the energy your body needs. Insulin can’t be taken as a pill because the acid in your stomach would destroy it before it could get into your bloodstream.

How long does it take for diabetes to show symptoms?

Type 1 diabetes symptoms can develop in just a few weeks or months. Once symptoms appear, they can be severe. Some type 1 diabetes symptoms are similar to symptoms of other health conditions.

Who manages diabetes?

Unlike many health conditions, diabetes is managed mostly by you, with support from your health care team (including your primary care doctor, foot doctor, dentist, eye doctor, registered dietitian nutritionist, diabetes educator, and pharmacist), family, teachers, and other important people in your life.

What is a DKA?

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication of diabetes that can be life-threatening. DKA develops when your body doesn’t have enough insulin to allow blood sugar into your cells for use as energy. Very high blood sugar and low insulin levels lead to DKA. The two most common causes are illness and missing insulin shots.

How to treat type 1 diabetes?

Treatment for type 1 diabetes involves insulin injections or the use of an insulin pump, frequent blood sugar checks, and carbohydrate counting. Treatment of type 2 diabetes primarily involves lifestyle changes, monitoring of your blood sugar, along with diabetes medications, insulin or both.

What are the best ways to treat diabetes?

Treatment. Depending on what type of diabetes you have, blood sugar monitoring, insulin and oral medications may play a role in your treatment. Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and participating in regular activity also are important factors in managing diabetes.

What blood test is used to determine blood sugar levels?

Tests for type 1 and type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test. This blood test, which doesn't require fasting, indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. It measures the percentage of blood sugar attached to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells.

How to do a glucose challenge?

You'll begin the glucose challenge test by drinking a syrupy glucose solution. One hour later, you'll have a blood test to measure your blood sugar level. A blood sugar level below 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) is usually considered normal on a glucose challenge test, although this may vary at specific clinics or labs.

When was the artificial pancreas approved?

A second artificial pancreas was approved in December 2019.

What does A1C mean?

It measures the percentage of blood sugar attached to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. The higher your blood sugar levels, the more hemoglobin you'll have with sugar attached. An A1C level of 6.5% or higher on two separate tests indicates that you have diabetes.

How does exercise affect blood sugar?

Exercise lowers your blood sugar level by moving sugar into your cells, where it's used for energy. Exercise also increases your sensitivity to insulin, which means your body needs less insulin to transport sugar to your cells .

What is the goal of the Diabetes Research Institute?

With more research, our goal is to effectively reverse type 1 diabetes, restoring the body’s ability to normalize blood sugar levels naturally. Get more answers to your questions about type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes symptoms and treatments.

What happens if you don't have insulin?

With type 1 diabetes, your pancreas stops making insulin, a hormone that helps the body convert blood sugar into energy. Without insulin, sugar builds up in the blood and can damage your internal organs , including your heart, kidneys, eyes, nervous system, and other parts of the body. This can lead to serious or life-threatening complications ...

How long can you live without insulin?

And in 2019, a study by DRI scientists showed that a small group of patients who received islet transplants had been able to live without insulin injections for 10 years, while maintaining blood sugar levels that were in the same range as people who had never had type 1 diabetes.

When was the first islet transplant?

Research has come a long way since the first islet transplant in a human was performed in 1985 . Recent work by DRI scientists has included the discovery of pancreatic stem cells that can be stimulated to create insulin-producing beta cells, and a study that demonstrated that abdominal tissue called the omentum could work as a transplant site. And in 2019, a study by DRI scientists showed that a small group of patients who received islet transplants had been able to live without insulin injections for 10 years, while maintaining blood sugar levels that were in the same range as people who had never had type 1 diabetes.

What is a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is a study that takes treatments that have been developed in lab and pre-clinical research, and tests them in human patients. DRI scientists have a number of clinical trials currently underway, including an islet transplant study that is testing the omentum as an alternative transplant site to the liver. Other ongoing clinical trials include the POSEIDON Trial, which tests whether high doses of vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids can help slow or stop the progression of type 1 diabetes in newly diagnosed children and adults.

Can diabetes be reversed?

However, researchers with the Diabetes Research Institute are now working on treatments to reverse the disease, so that people with type 1 diabetes can live healthy lives without medication.

What is the POSEIDON trial?

Other ongoing clinical trials include the POSEIDON Trial, which tests whether high doses of vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids can help slow or stop the progression of type 1 diabetes in newly diagnosed children and adults.

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Treatment

Clinical Trials

Lifestyle and Home Remedies

Coping and Support

Your provider will work with you to develop a care plan that may include one or more of these treatment options.
Treatment inlcudes lifestyle modifications and taking insulin to keep the sugar levels under control.
Medication

Insulin replacement therapy: Insulin, the hormone that regulates blood glucose is regularly administered either through injection, or by using an insulin pump.

Insulin

Nutrition

Foods to eat:

  • Foods rich in simple proteins like beans lentils and nuts
  • Foods containing complex carbohydrates like brown rice, barley and oat meal
  • Fruits and vegetables with less amount of sugars like papaya, watermelon and muskmelon

Foods to avoid:

  • Foods rich in simple carbohydrates white rice and bread
  • Foods rich in complex proteins like red meat processed meat and poultry with skin
  • Foods rich in sugars like jams, jellies and cookies
  • Foods rich in fats like butter, chips, mayonnaise and junk food
  • Fruits and vegetables with high amount of sugars like bananas and potatoes

Specialist to consult

Diabetologist
Specializes in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
Endocrinologist
Specializes in the function and disorders of the endocrine system of the body.
Primary care physician
Specializes in the acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health.

Preparing For Your Appointment

  • Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes: 1. Taking insulin 2. Carbohydrate, fat and protein counting 3. Frequent blood sugar monitoring 4. Eating healthy foods 5. Exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight The goal is to keep your blood sugar level as close to normal as p…
See more on mayoclinic.org

Prognosis

  • Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
See more on mayoclinic.org

Administration

  • Careful management of type 1 diabetes can reduce your risk of serious — even life-threatening — complications. Consider these tips: 1. Make a commitment to manage your diabetes.Take your medications as recommended. Learn all you can about type 1 diabetes. Make healthy eating and physical activity part of your daily routine. Establish a relationship with a diabetes educator, and …
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Medical uses

  • Diabetes can affect your emotions both directly and indirectly. Poorly controlled blood sugar can directly affect your emotions by causing behavior changes, such as irritability. There may be times you feel resentful about your diabetes. People with diabetes have an increased risk of depression and diabetes-related distress, which may be why many diabetes specialists regularly include a s…
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Treatment

  • If you suspect that you or your child might have type 1 diabetes, get evaluated immediately. A simple blood test can let your doctor know if you need further evaluation and treatment. After diagnosis, you'll need close medical follow-up until your blood sugar level stabilizes. A doctor who specializes in hormonal disorders (endocrinologist) generally coordinates diabetes care. Your h…
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Side effects

  • People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) can live long, happy lives with proper care and disease management. Advancements in medication types and delivery methods give people the freedom to choose which treatment options work best with their particular circumstance. T1D prognoses can be greatly improved with a combination of treatments and lifestyle choices.
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Diagnosis

  • Insulin can be delivered via syringes or pens, pumps or new artificial pancreas systems. Though the administration method, frequency and type of insulin dosage vary on a case-by-case basis, injections may be needed multiple times per day.
See more on jdrf.org

Example

  • Used in conjunction with insulin, pramlintide is often prescribed after other medications prove not as effective as needed. It acts as a hormone to help the body better control blood sugar.
See more on jdrf.org

Diet

  • Medications for high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as aspirin can be prescribed with insulin to help the overall health and treatment of diabetes. Since people with diabetes have an increased chance of cardiovascular disease, these drugs are used in combination with other diabetes medications. Treatment for T1D includes monitoring and lifestyle choices in addition t…
See more on jdrf.org

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