Type 1 Diabetes Affects Major Body System

Each step causes to the next, this mechanism starts with:

1. Hyperglycemia

2. Glycosuria

3. Polyuria

4. Polydipsia

Type 1 diabetes affects major body systems like the liver. The liver’s low insulin stimulates the destruction of the accumulated reserves of glucose known as glycogenolysis (Joshi 2010.) New glucose is then synthesised gluconeogenesis (Peate 2011,) these actions add new glucose into the bloodstream. Unfortunately all this glucose cannot be used by the body’s cells and is deposited in the urine thus increasing the already high level of Hyperglycemia. The liver is essentially the victim of the diabetes disease by just doing its job; the low levels of insulin make the liver work harder.

Other affects diabetes has on the body

This leads to the body breaking down its own proteins to convert into additional glucose which cannot be absorbed and again is flushed out in the urine. The loss of these vitally needed proteins is dangerous to the individual it leads to the skeletal muscles breaking down which causes weakness and rapid weight loss. Other systems in the body are also influence by this loss of proteins such as the heart, lungs, brain, micro blood vessels, intestines, and kidneys. The intestines are affected by the damaged micro blood vessels; this is because the intestines need a rich blood supply to work properly. The kidneys are damaged by the overuse of filtering the excess glucose out of the body’s system. Observe Appendix 7 below a diagram of the kidney affected

Ketoacidosis is a release of these toxins into the bloodstream which affects many organs such as the brain and spinal tissues. Ketoacidosis is highly common in individuals with type 1 diabetes; it induces nausea and vomiting by poisoning the blood that enters the brain. To reduce these poisons they are exhaled out of the body, making the individuals breathing become deeper and rapid. The individual’s breath often smells of pear drops due to the Ketone bodies which are volatile and have an odour that can also be detected in urine (Coad 2011.) Before the invention of a dipstick test that measures the ketone bodies in the urine, doctors would taste the urine by dipping there finger in freshly discharged urine and tasting to test the sweetness level. Urine tests are also use to identify proteins which could be an indication of damage to the kidneys. Observe Appendix 9 which shows a urine dipstick chart to test the contents for all different types of substances by the use of panels that are impregnated with different chemicals, so abnormalities can be identified.Pregnancy can have several issues when the women is a sufferer of type 1 diabetes, these issues can unfortunately be fatal for the fetus if not monitored strictly. Maternal metabolism can bring on spontaneous abortions or death in the early postpartum period. Most effects are on the cardiovascular and neurological