Type 1 Diabetes Type 1 diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is a long-term disease of the pancreas gland, which is located inside the abdomen. Every cell in the body needs insulin (a hormone released in response to rising blood sugar levels) for glucose (blood sugar) to be absorbed by the body's cells. If the body is deficient in insulin, glucose will build up in the bloodstream. Type 1 diabetes can appear at any age. Every affected patient needs insulin injections to avoid the complications of insulin deficiency. When the glucose level becomes high enough, it begins to appear in the urine. Controlling your blood sugar level is very important in order to control diabetes. What are the symptoms of type 1 diabetes? Increased thirst. Increased urination. Fatigue. Weight loss (although appetite often increases). Itching, especially around the genitals. Recurrent infections on the skin and mucous membranes (yeast and boils). If another family member has diabetes and you regularly experience any of the symptoms listed above, it is important to see your doctor and get tested for diabetes. There is a 5-10% risk of a child developing diabetes if one of the parents or sibling has type 1 diabetes. How is type 1 diabetes treated? Diabetes is treated by: taking insulin, staying physically active and doing lots of exercise, maintaining a constant pace, following a correct diet containing a controlled amount of carbohydrates. The goal of insulin treatment is to control the amount of insulin contained...... in the center of the card ...... used? Diabetic acidosis is treated in hospital on an inpatient basis, often in an intensive care unit. Treatment consists of: intravenous fluids, initially with salt-containing and later glucose-containing fluids, intravenous administration of insulin (infusion) potassium supplements added to the infusion antibiotics, if an infection is identified. Exercise Some diabetes patients think that exercise will take care of high levels of glucose in the blood and ketone bodies in the urine. In fact, this only makes things worse. Diabetic acidosis is caused by low insulin levels and must be treated with insulin. Long-Term Outlook If diabetic acidosis is diagnosed and treated early, the patient should make a full recovery within a few days. If acidosis is not treated promptly, it will become life-threatening.