What is the full form of IDDM?

What is IDDM?

IDDM stands for Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus. It is also known as Type 1 Diabetes and can occur in children or adults. It is a chronic condition in which the pancreas either creates little or no insulin. In such a case, sugar remains in the bloodstream and is not transferred to the cells. Insulin is a hormone whose job is to provide a path to the sugar to enter cells and produce energy. This sugar is in the form of glucose which is consumed by the body to produce energy.

Type 1 diabetes can occur due to different factors. One of the major factors is that it is hereditary. The second cause is the viruses. Currently, there is no cure available for IDDM but people suffering from it need to take care regarding sugar consumption and changing their diet and lifestyle.

Symptoms of IDDM

IDDM has many symptoms and some of them are given below −

• Drinking a lot of water as thirst is more than usual

• A lot of urination

• Children wet their bed a lot

• Always feeling hungry

• Weight loss without doing anything

• Frequent mood changes

• Feeling weakness

• A lot of tiredness

• Vision not clear

Causes of IDDM

The causes of people getting Type 1 Diabetes are still unknown but one of the reason is genetics, viruses, and environmental factors are the other reasons. Another reason is that the immune system destroys the cells that produce insulin.

Insulin and its role

Insulin is produced by islet cells available in the pancreas. The organ adds insulin in the bloodstream and sugar in the form of glucose is allowed to enter cells. This step lowers the sugar content in the bloodstream and the pancreas reduces the production of insulin.

Glucose and its role

The sugar whether sucrose, galactose, or other carbohydrates is converted into glucose which enters cells through insulin and produces energy. Food and liver are the main sources of providing glucose which is absorbed by the cells through insulin. The liver stores sugar in the form of glycogen and releases it when the body needs energy. As no insulin is produced in the type 1 diabetes sugar content increases in the blood stream.

Reasons behind Type1 Diabetes

Here are the reasons due to which people may face Type 1 Diabetes −

Genetics

If a parent or a sibling has type 1 diabetes, there are chances that it may reach the next generation.

Traveling

People who travel away from the equator have the chance of getting type 1 diabetes.

Age

Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age but it usually occurs in children between the age of either 4 to 7 years or 10 and 14 years.

Complications due to IDDM

IDDM or Type 1 Diabetes can lead to different kinds of complications which are discussed below −

Diseases related to blood vessels and heart

People suffering from type 1 diabetes may also suffer from diseases related to the heart and blood vessels. Chest pain, heart attack, arteries getting narrowed, and many other things may occur.

Damages to nerves

The walls of the blood vessels may get damaged due to high sugar content in the blood. Some of these blood vessels provide energy to the nerves. Patients may feel pain and numbness in their legs. The digestive system may also get affected due to damaged blood capillaries which may result in nausea, vomiting, and other issues. Males may also face the problem of erectile dysfunction.

Diseases related to kidneys

There are a lot of blood vessels available in the kidney whose job is to remove the waste products from the bloodstream. Diabetes can damage these blood capillaries and may lead to kidney failure. Another disease is the end-stage kidney and in this case, patients will have to go for dialysis. A kidney transplant is the only solution in such a case.

Diseases in the eye

Blood vessels in the retina of the eyes may get damaged due to diabetes which may lead to blindness. Cataracts and glaucoma are the other conditions that may develop due to diabetes.

Other conditions

Patients may get infections in their skin and mouth and women can have complicated pregnancies.

Test conducted for Type 1 Diabetes

If you feel symptoms of having type 1 diabetes, you have to go for a simple blood test. If type 1 diabetes is detected, doctors may also test your blood for autoantibodies as they attack your body and make you weak. You may also have to go for a urine test to know about the presence of ketones.

Prevention of Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes cannot be prevented and cannot be cured. Researchers are doing research to prevent or slow down the damage of the islet cells.

Difference between IDDM and NIDDM

IDDM is Type 1 Diabetes while NIDDM is Type 2 Diabetes. There are a few differences between both of them and they are given in the table below −

IDDM	NIDDM
Caused by to deficiency of insulin	Caused due to resistance to insulin
People less than 40 years old are affected	People > 40 years old are affected
Low body weight	High body weight
Symptoms are visible within weeks	Symptoms are visible in months and years
Ketonuria is present	Ketonuria is absent
High rate of mortality	Low rate of mortality

Conclusion

IDDM stands for Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus. This is a disease in which the pancreas does not make any insulin and the bloodstream is full of sugar. A lot of sugar in the bloodstream can cause other serious problems like heart attack, kidney damage, problems in the digestive system, and many more. Currently, there is no cure but people can slow down the effect by changing their lifestyle.

FAQs

1 What is the full form of IDDN?

The full form of IDDN is Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus.

2 What is the reason behind the occurrence of type 1 diabetes?

It can be genetics and also viruses and the environment.

3 What is the role of insulin in IDDN?

The pancreas does not produce insulin which causes a high amount of sugar in the bloodstream.

4 Is there any cure for IDDN?

Currently there is no cure but research is going on to slow down or even prevent the damage of islet cells that secrete insulin.

5 What are the symptoms of IDDN?

The symptoms of IDDN include feeling a lot of thirst and hunger, increased urination, mood change, feeling weakness, etc.