Type 1 Diabetes 

According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 20 million people in the United States suffer from diabetes—a life-long disease characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood.

Between 5% and 10% of Americans diagnosed with the disease have type 1 diabetes—often called juvenile diabetes because its onset occurs before age 30. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone that lets glucose (sugar) in the cells from the bloodstream. Without glucose in the cells, the body has no energy.

This lack of energy makes the person with diabetes constantly hungry. Meanwhile, all the sugar in the blood causes him or her to urinate more, thus causing thirst. Type 1 diabetes symptoms include: weight loss; nausea and vomiting; fatigue; and abdominal pain. In women, another symptom of diabetes is the lack of menstruation.

Diabetes can have some severe complications such as blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, and nerve damage. Many diabetics suffer from foot problems that may result in amputation. These foot problems are caused by poor circulation, which can be improved with soft cotton, oversized diabetic socks that fit the foot loosely (such as Care Sox™)

A blood test is required to diagnose diabetes, which measures the level of glucose—a reading of 126mg/dL or higher when fasting indicates the presence of the disease. Once diagnosed, diabetes treatment seeks to regulate sugar in the blood by: 

• injecting or pumping insulin into the body
• controlling diet to allow food to work along with the insulin
• exercising to burn calories and fat

Some diabetics use insulin-prefilled syringes to keep their blood glucose level under control. Others use insulin pumps, which deliver insulin 24 hours a day through thin plastic tubes under the skin. Products such as the Silhouette infusion set makes it easy and convenient to insert the soft tubes under the skin.