What is the treatment for Type 1 Diabetes?

• Initial treatment is involves getting blood sugar back to normal levels, using insulin via a drip or injections
• Quite often dehydration is also present, and this may need correction with intravenous fluids (a drip)
• Sometimes the electrolytes (salts) in the blood may be quite abnormal, and need correction
• There is, as yet, no cure for Type 1 Diabetes, though research is ongoing and it’s quite likely that, in time, it will be curable.
• For now, ongoing treatment for Type 1 Diabetes involves taking daily insulin injections or using insulin pump, with careful monitoring of blood sugar and food intake to make sure the correct amount of insulin is given.
• People with Type 1 Diabetes usually attend a specialist (endocrinologist) for follow-up one or more times per year, depending on how well their condition is controlled.
• It’s also necessary to have regular eye checks with an optometrist, foot checks with a podiatrist and to maintain a healthy diet and active lifestyle.
• Annual influenza vaccination is recommended.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is more common than Type 1, and is caused by the body losing its ability to respond to insulin- also known as insulin resistance.  It is more common in older people, and in those who are overweight. However, it is starting to occur in children in more recent years. In Type 2 Diabetes, the body tries to compensate by making more insulin, but it can’t always make enough. Over time, the pancreas can’t cope with this demand, and insulin supply may start to reduce. Unlike Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes is usually controlled by dietary &lifestyle changes and tablets. However, sometimes insulin may be required.

What are the complications of Type 1 Diabetes?

If Diabetes is well managed, the risk of complications is minimised. However, in poorly controlled Diabetes long term complications may occur, including:

• kidney damage
• eye problems (diabetic retinopathy)
• increased risk of heart disease and stroke
• damage to blood vessels/circulation in the legs and feet, which in severe cases can lead to a need for amputation
• damage to the nerves, particularly in the feet
• sexual dysfunction

If you have concerns about Diabetes, speak to your GP. If you think you or someone you know has symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes, urgent medical attention should be sought.

Who gets hypothyroidism and why does it happen?

Anyone can get an underactive thyroid gland or “hypothyroidism”- but it’s more common in women, and may be triggered during or after pregnancy. Some people are born with an underactive thyroid, but this is almost always detected at birth, as babies are routinely checked.

When adults get hypothyroidism, it’s often due to inflammation of the thyroid gland, resulting in destruction of the cells that make thyroid hormone. This frequently tends to be an “autoimmune” problem, called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, where the body mistakenly attacks and damages its own cells.

In parts of the world, there may be low Iodine in the diet, which can lead to hypothyroidism, but this is extremely rare in developed countries such as Australia.

In other cases, a person may have had some (or all) of their thyroid gland surgically removed for other reasons- such as thyroid nodules or thyroid cancer, resulting in too little thyroid hormone being made. If a person has an overactive thyroid, some of the treatments may cause the thyroid to become underactive instead.  An underactive thyroid can also be a side effect of other medicines.

How is an underactive thyroid diagnosed?

Diagnosis of an underactive thyroid is based on the history of symptoms, and then confirmed by a blood test. If the blood tests are normal, this means your thyroid gland is not the cause of your tiredness

The blood test measures T4 (thyroid hormone) and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone, which is made by the pituitary gland). If a person has an underactive thyroid, their T4 tends to be low, and TSH tends to be high. Sometimes autoimmune antibodies may be tested too. And if the thyroid is lumpy or enlarged, an ultrasound scan of the thyroid gland may be recommended.