Understanding Type 1 Diabetes

What is this type of blood sugar disorder?

Usher’s Son Has Type 1 Diabetes - Recently, singer and reality show host Usher admitted on the Today show that one of his sons was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Do you know about Type 1 diabetes? Read more about this disease and how it impacts African-Americans. — (@kelleent) Kellee Terrell(Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

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Usher’s Son Has Type 1 Diabetes - Recently, singer and reality show host Usher admitted on the Today show that one of his sons was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Do you know about Type 1 diabetes? Read more about this disease and how it impacts African-Americans. — (@kelleent) Kellee Terrell(Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

What Is Diabetes? - Diabetes is when a person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because the body doesn’t properly produce insulin (the enzyme that break the sugar down) or because the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or sometimes both, Medical News Today writes. (Photo: Laguna Design/Getty Images)

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What Is Type 1 Diabetes? - Type 1 diabetes, previously called “juvenile diabetes,” is when the body does not produce insulin (the hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy). Type 1 isn’t normally a disease that can be prevented by a healthier lifestyle. (Photo: Laguna Design/Getty Images)

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Who Gets It? - It’s a rare disease. It’s estimated that only 5 percent of Americans have this form of diabetes and it’s usually diagnosed in children. (Photo: KidStock/Getty Images)

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How Common Is It? - In general, diabetes affects almost 25.8 million Americans with 7 million unaware that they have it. The American Diabetes Association estimates that a whopping 79 million Americans have prediabetes. Prediabetes is when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. (Photo: Godfried Edelman/Getty Images)

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Type 1 vs. Type 2 - Type 1 diabetes usually begins earlier in life than Type 2 diabetes (even though children can be diagnosed with Type 2). Also, Type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Meanwhile, Type 1 is caused by environmental factors that trigger the body's immune system to mistakenly attack the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, eventually destroying them.(Photo: Godfried Edelman/Getty Images)

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Type 1 and Black Children - A 2013 study found that Type 1 diabetes was dangerously on the rise in children. Black children had a slight dip in diagnosis, but numbers were still high for them, too. Researchers believe that the ever-changing environment, especially in urban areas, may be why these numbers have gone up over the years. (Photo: Garry Wade/Getty Images)

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Black Parents and Spanking: Is It Out of Control? - In a recent article at The Root, Keli Goff weighs in on Ohio father Greg Horn, who was arrested for beating his two daughters for posting videos on Facebook of them twerking. Goff ponders when is spanking OK and why it is so prevalent in our community. Past studies show that African-American parents have the highest rates of child mistreatment and accidental spanking deaths. (Photo: Peter Glass/Getty Images)

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Difficulty in Diagnosing Kids - Diagnosing Type 1 in children can be challenging because kids are not good with communicating how they are feeling. Look for the signs in your kids and babies: Extreme thirst, frequent urination, bed wetting, being extremely fussy and persistent dehydration.  (Photo: Peter Glass/Getty Images)

Types of Diabetes - There are three forms of diabetes. Type I usually occurs in childhood or teenage years and is when the body does not produce any insulin. Type II happens in 90 percent of diabetes cases around the world and is when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body doesn’t respond well to the insulin. Gestational diabetes occurs among pregnant women — even if they never had diabetes prior.  (Photo: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

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Managing Type 1 With Treatment - Hearing that a child has diabetes can be really scary and emotional. The good news: Treatment and healthy living can make all the difference. With the help of insulin shots or a pump to administer medicine and monitoring devices to check on one’s blood sugar, one can take control of this disease. (Photo: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

2. They Really Understand Your Home Life - Sure, you may tell your friends what goes on at home and about the fight you had with your parents, but the only people that really understand what you're going through are your siblings. (Photo: Blend Images/Kris Timken/Getty Images)

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Exercise and Type 1 Diabetes Go Hand in Hand   - Kids with Type 1 really need to make exercise part of their everyday in order to manage their disease. Exercise will not only make them feel better, but it helps stabilize their blood sugar — a really important component in tackling diabetes. (Photo: Blend Images/Kris Timken/Getty Images)

Preventing Hunger - The president's plan also earmarks $7.1 billion to support the nearly 8.9 million recipients of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In addition, $35 million in school equipment grants are included to help bring healthy meals to schools around the nation. (photo: GettyImages)

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Why Healthy Eating Is Everything  - What you put in your body is crucial when it comes to diabetes. Different foods can interfere with your blood sugar levels differently. Working with your doctor/child’s doctor is key in understanding what needs to be cut out, what foods to eat more of and how to combine certain foods so you can stay healthy. (Photo: Getty Images)

You Are Not Alone - No one is exempt from Type 1 diabetes. Halle Berry, Damon Dash and Vanessa Williams all have been living and managing Type 1 since childhood. (Photos from left: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Leisure Opportunities, Theo Wargo/Getty Images, Scott Kirkland/PictureGroup)

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You Are Not Alone - No one is exempt from Type 1 diabetes. Halle Berry, Damon Dash and Vanessa Williams all have been living and managing Type 1 since childhood. (Photos from left: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Leisure Opportunities, Theo Wargo/Getty Images, Scott Kirkland/PictureGroup)