All you really need to know about type 1 diabetes Eric Hamblin probably learned in kindergarten. The 8-year-old boy was diagnosed with diabetes at 18 months old, and now he has more than enough knowledge to teach a lesson to new medical students.
“I just want to say one thing, and that’s that you don’t know anything about diabetes.” The happy man of the class told a packed audience at a University of New England medical school seminar.
His words elicited laughter, and then he laughed along, but there was some truth behind them. It is estimated that about 29 million Americans have diabetes, and about 3 million of them have the type of diabetes that Eric has. the smaller percentage of people with type 1 diabetes is probably the biggest reason why there is so much misunderstanding about the disease.
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes cause high blood sugar, and both need to be treated with insulin. Insulin is a hormone that works to open up cells to let blood sugar in and produce energy.
People with diabetes cannot live without insulin. in type 1 diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin. in type 2 diabetes, the body does not use insulin properly. There are many other differences between the two types of diabetes.
Gossip
Eric’s mom, Elizabeth Pratt Hamblin, is a medical editor whose job allows her to learn the basics about diabetes. “But it wasn’t until my son was diagnosed that I understood what type 1 diabetes really meant and how to treat it,” she said. She said.
The mother who was so determined to find a way to care for her son went from being overwhelmed at first to publishing a self-help book to help others: 100 Questions and Answers About Type 1 Diabetes in Children.
In his book, Pratt Hamblin describes many misconceptions about type 1 diabetes, including that it is only in children. Although the disease was once called “juvenile” or “juvenile” diabetes, this is not true.
About 18,000 children are diagnosed with this type of diabetes each year, but it can actually occur at any age. About 5% of adults with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. And it doesn’t go away with age, no matter how old you are when you are diagnosed.
Here are a few other common rumors that many people with type 1 diabetes often hear that are hurtful.
“You must have eaten too much sugar to get this diabetes.”
This is not true.
“Having type 1 diabetes is like being struck by lightning. It happens by accident, and it’s not anyone’s fault.” said Dr. Steven Griffen, vice president of JDRF (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). “Unfortunately, we don’t know the exact cause of type 1 diabetes, and researchers are still trying to figure out the role played by genes and environmental factors, including exposure to viruses or bacteria that live in the gut.”
But one thing we know for sure is that this type of diabetes is not caused by eating too much sugar.
“Can children develop this type of diabetes from vaccinations?”
Scientists have not found any link between vaccines and type 1 diabetes.
“You’re too fat. That’s how you get this disease.”
Wrong. Weight is not the cause of the disease either. Obesity and lack of exercise are two major risk factors for type 2 diabetes and many other health problems, but there is not much of a link to type 1 diabetes.
“You have ‘bad’ diabetes.”
There is no such thing as “good” diabetes, so there is no such thing as better or worse. type 1 is different from type 2, but both need to be treated.
“I can’t get infected, can I?”
Yes. Diabetes is not contagious.
“You can’t eat any more sugar!”
Wrong. In fact, this is just medical advice from your doctor in case of a sudden drop in blood sugar, which means hypoglycemia.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 7, wrote in her autobiography that there was a time when she was shoveling cake into her mouth to prevent hypoglycemia, despite her image.
Patients can eat whatever they want, as long as they take the right amount of insulin to balance out the carbohydrates.
“It’s best not to do exercise.”
As long as you pay attention to how you feel and monitor your blood sugar closely, then adjust as needed, you can keep yourself safe and enjoy the benefits of physical activity.
Patients can even be very good. Swimmer Gary Hall, Jr. is a type 1 diabetic and a 10-time Olympic medalist.
“You were feeling fine last week. How can you have a problem now? Haven’t you figured it out yet?”
Sometimes the disease is hard to manage, even when patients stick to their diet plan and medication regimen.
Many factors, including stress, hormonal changes, periods of growth and disease, can cause blood sugar to get out of control. Fluctuations in blood glucose do not indicate that the patient is doing anything wrong.
“When are you going to be off insulin? Shouldn’t you be cured by now?”
Insulin helps keep people with type 1 diabetes alive. Insulin must be used, but insulin cannot cure this disease.
“There’s no cure for this disease, but we’ve made significant progress.” Griffen said. He pointed to several treatments that could improve quality of life, including new drugs, insulin pumps, ambulatory glucose meters, and, someday, perhaps an “artificial pancreas” to replace the original problem organ.
Unexpectedly, some of these advances have also given rise to additional misconceptions. These include the following.
“Why don’t you get one of these devices to check your blood sugar?”
For most people, a certain technology isn’t right for them. These technologies are expensive, and insurance may not cover such costs.
Eric has an ambulatory glucose monitor that he has had for years. But his mom lost her job when she bought it because of the financial crisis, so the monitor wasn’t in his mom’s budget. Now he uses a blood glucose monitor.
“Some people would think that since this device is available, everyone can buy it, and that’s just plain wrong.” Pratt Hamblin said.
“Thank goodness you finally have a pump so you don’t have to worry about your blood sugar.”
Pratt Hamblin said that when people found out her son had an insulin pump, they thought the device would automatically cure his blood sugar.
“The insulin pump does help a lot, but every time he wants to eat, he has to do a calculation, enter the information, and then inject him with insulin, unless his blood sugar is low, in which case I have to manually turn the pump off.” She said.
The reality is that managing type 1 diabetes requires 24/7 work.
“Of course, it’s a complex disease and it affects every aspect of your life, but it shouldn’t stop you from doing anything you want to do.” Griffen said. “You can eat whatever you want, participate in physical activity, drive, get pregnant, have a baby …… it’s just a state that reminds you to be aware and control your blood sugar.”