What is Type 1 Diabetes and what causes it?

Type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent) occurs when your body produces little or no insulin

What you should know:
•Diabetes is a disorder that occurs when body produces little or no insulin
•Symptoms include; thirst, nausea, frequent urination, fatigue and weight loss

Related Videos:
•Diabetes videos, http://www.youtube.com/cvspharmacyvideos#g/c/E6F66851947DF3F7

Related Health Articles:
•Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes, also called insulin-dependent diabetes, is a disorder that occurs when your body produces little or no insulin... http://bit.ly/d7s7Vq
•Type 2 Diabetes
Today, diabetes afflicts over 20 million Americans -- an increase of roughly 14 percent in just the past few years -- and almost everyone knows at least one person who has it. But that doesn't mean it's well understood by most people. One out of three people with Type 2 diabetes isn't aware that they have the condition, and even those who know they have it often aren't sure how to control it... http://bit.ly/d47x1I
•Checking Your Blood Sugar
By testing your blood sugar regularly, you can track the effectiveness of your medication, make informed decisions about meals and exercise, and head off problems such as high blood sugar or low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) before it's too late... http://bit.ly/9bJ3x7
•Diet and Diabetes
Can watching my diet help me control my diabetes?... http://bit.ly/bTPoiN

Related Products:
The following are products sold by CVS/pharmacy that may be of interest to you:
Nature Made Diabetes Health Pack $18.49 http://bit.ly/a2wfEa

Transcript
Hi, I'm Cordell Brown. I'm a CVS pharmacist. Type 1 diabetes, also called insulin-dependent diabetes, is a disorder that occurs when your body produces little or no insulin. Insulin is important because it brings the glucose, or sugar, that you get from the carbohydrates in the foods you eat to the cells in your body that need nourishment. Our cells rely on sugar for energy. When you have type 1 diabetes your immune system breaks down and attacks the cells in your pancreas that produce the insulin you need. Without insulin, the sugar in your blood has no way to get into your cells, so it builds up in your bloodstream. Your cells don't get the fuel they need to function and literally begin to starve.
Although the exact cause is still unknown, diabetes does run in families and sometimes occurs when a viral infection has damaged the pancreas. Certain immune system diseases that destroys the body's insulin-producing cells may also be a factor. Symptoms often appear suddenly, causing increased thirst and frequent urination. These are signals that your kidneys are using more water to reduce blood-sugar levels. Lack of insulin also means not being able to use the calories you consume, so you're likely to be very hungry; lose a lot of weight; feel weak, tired, irritable, and possibly sick to your stomach. Untreated, diabetes can lead to heart disease, kidney disease, chronic infections, and other life-threatening conditions. But with treatment, you can control it.
This should give you a better explanation of type 1 diabetes. If you have any questions, talk to a CVS pharmacist. We're here for you.

Source: CVS Caremark Health Resources

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Type 1 diabetes
• type 1
• insulin
• diabetes
• glucose
• sugar
• carbohydrates
• cells
• energy
• immune system
• blood sugar levels
• blood stream
• genetic
• factors
• symptoms
• urination
• thirst
• kidneys
• heart disease
• treatment
• cvs
• cvs pharmacy
• pharmacy
• pharmacist