Type 1 diabetes can be a life-threatening illness. Last year, I was taken seriously ill and rushed to hospital, and woke up in the critical ward. It was a very close thing and I nearly lost my life. It was then that I was told I had Type 1 diabetes. Apparently this is quite unusual for someone of my age (I'll admit to 60) because Type 1 is known as as juvenile diabetes.

Youngsters from a very early age are diagnosed with the type 1 illness, whereas Type 2 is usually associated with middle-aged and older people who may often have weight problems and a poor lifestyle. Although it has to be said that in recent years the borderlines are getting blurred, due to obesity in very young kids causing early type 2 symptoms.

In fact I didn't have a clue about diabetes when I was told I had the illness. No one in our family had ever suffered with it, and I had to get much of the information from pamphlets I had been given by a diabetic professional. It is quite frightening to be told of the complications which might arise, such as heart failure, stroke, eye disease, leg amputation to name just a few.

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are quite different illnesses. The latest research has found that Type 1 may be caused by a virus, which attacks the immune system and causes the pancreas to stop working. Unfortunately for we Type 1 sufferers insulin injections are part of our daily life, with no sign of a cure in the foreseable future.On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes is connected to poor eating habits and lack of exercise, and with careful diet and a more active life, much can be done to cut back on medications, under your diabetic doctor's supervision.

Managing blood sugar levels is extremely important. After you get over the initial shock of being diagnosed with diabetes, you will realize that you have to take steps to keep your blood sugar levels under tight control. I test my blood sugar levels with a monitor four times a day.Some diabetics test more often, some less. The ultimate aim is to have a reading of between 4mmol/l - 7mmol/l ( 75mg/dL - 120mg/dL ) prior to a meal. It can be a difficult goal to achieve. But careful management of your blood sugar can prevent many of health complications associated with diabetes..

Diet and Exercise. These are the first subjects your diabetic team will discuss with you after you have been diagnosed. What you eat and how often you take exercise. Even a 20 minute walk, will have a direct effect on your blood sugar levels. They will advise you how to adjust insulin or oral medication to suit your lifestyle.

It's a good idea to do some research into all aspects of diabetes in an effort to improve your lifestyle. There is a host of information to found on the internet. I looked into some of the different 'so-called cures". I studied various therapies and lifestyle ideas. Eventually I found what worked for me and then decided to write about my experience, with ideas on what foods and therapies work to ease the illness, together with links to all the essential websites related to diabetes.