The public knows that diabetes mellitus generally affects adults, but it also occurs in children from childhood with a peak occurring at the ages of 4-7 years and 10-14 years, which is called T1DM. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is predominantly caused by an autoimmune process (genetic factors). There are variations: Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) or type 1.5 DM at the age of 20-40, namely very slow DMT1.
In T1DM the body produces auto-antibodies, namely antibodies against parts of the body itself, in this case against the pancreatic beta cells which produce insulin.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM)
T1DM sufferers generally experience delayed growth and/or puberty. Apart from that, you can also experience symptoms of diabetes in general,
like:
- Get hungry and thirsty quickly
- Frequent urination
- Get tired quickly
- Easy to experience various infections in various organs such as pulmonary tuberculosis and urinary tract infections
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What is typical is that you often experience dangerous acute complications of diabetes, such as: diabetic ketoacidosis
T1DM sufferers can also experience chronic complications of diabetes, such as kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, retinal disorders or blindness, skin and dental health problems, diabetic feet, and even stroke).
Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM)
Children with T1DM can live as healthy as other children and live long lives, with treatment according to the basic mechanism by administering insulin injections to control blood sugar levels.
Apart from that, with the development of medical technology, there are drugs that can be taken that can help in the treatment of T1DM, namely Inhibitors of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2 inhibitors) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4 inhibitors) which, apart from controlling blood sugar, can It also controls the autoimmune process while preventing kidney damage.
READ ALSO: GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT DIABETES MELLITUS
Article written by dr. Wardhana, Sp.PD, KMED (Internal Medicine Specialist, Endocrinology & Diabetes Consultant)