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Diabetes - type 1 - Symptoms

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of type 1 diabetes.

Alternative Names

Type 1 diabetes; Insulin-dependent diabetes; Juvenile diabetes

Symptoms:

The process that destroys the insulin-producing beta cells can be long and insidious. At the point when insulin production bottoms out, however, type 1 diabetes usually appears suddenly and progresses quickly. Warning signs of type 1 diabetes include:

Frequent urination (in children, a recurrence of bed-wetting after toilet training has been completed)
Unusual thirst, especially for sweet, cold drinks
Extreme hunger
Sudden, sometimes dramatic, weight loss
Weakness
Extreme fatigue
Blurred vision or other changes in eyesight
Irritability
Nausea and vomiting (acute symptoms)

Children with type 1 diabetes may also be restless, apathetic, and have trouble functioning at school. In severe cases, diabetic coma may be the first sign of type 1 diabetes.

Resources

www.diabetes.org -- American Diabetes Association
www.niddk.nih.gov -- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
www.jdrf.org -- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
www.nei.nih.gov -- National Eye Institute
www.eatright.org -- American Dietetic Association
www.kidney.org -- National Kidney Foundation
www.diabetestrialnet.org -- Type 1 Diabetes International Clinical Trial Net
www.medicalert.org -- Bracelets or neck chain emblems with personal medical information
www.childrenwithdiabetes.com -- Children with diabetes online community

References

Alemzadeh R and Wyatt DT. Diabetes mellitus. In: Kliegman RM, ed. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th edition. Saunders; 2007:chap 590.

American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes -- 2008. Diabetes Care. 2008 Jan;31 Suppl 1:S12-54.

American Diabetes Association (ADA). Standards of medical care in diabetes. VI. Prevention and management of diabetes complications. Diabetes Care. 2007 Jan;30(Suppl 1):S15-24.

Camilleri M. Clinical practice. Diabetic gastroparesis. N Engl J Med. 2007 Feb 22;356(8):820-9.

Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study Research Group, Jacobson AM, Musen G, Ryan CM, Silvers N, Cleary P, et al. Long-term effect of diabetes and its treatment on cognitive function. N Engl J Med. 2007 May 3;356(18):1842-52.

Farrar D, Tuffnell DJ, West J. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion versus multiple daily injections of insulin for pregnant women with diabetes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jul 18;(3):CD005542.

Fiorina P, Secchi A. Pancreatic islet cell transplant for treatment of diabetes. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2007 Dec;36(4):999-1013; ix.

Drueke TB, Locatelli F, Clyne N, Eckardt KU, Macdougall IC, Tsakiris D, et al. Normalization of hemoglobin level in patients with chronic kidney disease and anemia. N Engl J Med. 2006 Nov 16;355(20):2071-84.

Hakonarson H, Grant SFA, Bradfield JP, Marchand L, Kim CE, Glessner JT, et al. A genome-wide association study identifies KIAA0350 as a type 1 diabetes gene. Nature. 2007 Aug 2;448(7153):591-4. Epub 2007 Jul 15.

Hunt D. Foot ulcers and amputations in diabetes. Clin Evid. 2006 Jun;(15):576-84.

McMahon GT, Arky RA. Inhaled insulin for diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med. 2007 Feb 1;356(5):497-502.

SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study Group , Liese AD, D'Agostino RB, Hamman RF, Kilgo PD, Lawrence JM, et al. The burden of diabetes mellitus among US youth: prevalence estimates from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study. Pediatrics. 2006 Oct;118(4):1510-8.

Pieber TR, Treichel HC, Hompesch B, Philotheou A, Mordhorst L, Gall MA, et al. Comparison of insulin detemir and insulin glargine in subjects with Type 1 diabetes using intensive insulin therapy. Diabet Med. 2007 Jun;24(6):635-42. Epub 2007 Mar 22.

Shapiro AM, Ricordi C, Hering BJ, Auchincloss H, Lindblad R, Robertson RP, et al. International trial of the Edmonton protocol for islet transplantation. N Engl J Med. 2006 Sep 28;355(13):1318-30.

Skyler JS. Cellular therapy for type 1 diabetes: has the time come? JAMA. 2007 Apr 11;297(14):1599-600.

Vardi M, Nini A. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors for erectile dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jan 24(1):CD002187.

Voltarelli JC, Couri CE, Stracieri AB, Oliveira MC, Moraes DA, Pieroni F, et al. Autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus. JAMA. 2007 Apr 11;297(14):1568-76.

Writing Group for the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study Group , Dabelea D, Bell RA, D'Agostino RB, Imperatore G, Johansen JM, et al. Incidence of diabetes in youth in the United States. JAMA. 2007 Jun 27;297(24):2716-24.

Reviewed last on: 4/17/2008
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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