It's that time of year again and the X Factor is in full swing. Each week our TVs are dominated with the hugely successful singing competition and a number of up and coming stars fill the newspapers. One contestant by the name of Amelia Lily made the papers recently, but not because of her talent for singing. The announced to the press that she suffers from type 1 diabetes - an illness that can be extremely dangerous unless treated appropriately. She has had the condition for a number of years and used to have seizures as a child.
Type 1 diabetes is a relatively common condition that is caused when the cells that produce insulin in the body are attacked by the body's immune system. Therefor the body does not produce enough insulin (the chemical that allows the body to regulate blood sugar levels). Without this chemical, blood sugar levels can reach dangerous levels and can cause the person to become extremely unwell. If glucose levels become extremely out of balance, the persona can have seizures - just as those mentioned by Amelia.
Part of the X Factor show involves singing in front of a large audience - naturally, when performing in front of such a large audience the body produces adrenaline. Adrenaline uses a large amount of energy, which affects blood sugar levels. In order to counter-balance these fluctuations, Amelia has to take appropriate action before she goes on stage.
The soon-to-be starlet was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 14 years ago and has to regularly inject insulin - as do many other people who suffer from the condition. Injecting insulin allows the body's sugar levels to return to a safe level. Because she has had the condition for so long, Amelia knows the tell tale signs before she has a hyperglycaemic episode, so she can act accordingly. She can tell if an episode is approaching as she will often shake or feel that she needs to eat chocolate.
One of Amelia's greatest fears that she deals with constantly is that she could go blind if she has a particularly bad episode. High levels of glucose damaging the blood vessels in the eyes can cause blindness in people with type 1 diabetes. Amelia plans to put her new found fame to good use by raising awareness of the condition.
Type 1 diabetes is a relatively common condition that is caused when the cells that produce insulin in the body are attacked by the body's immune system. Therefor the body does not produce enough insulin (the chemical that allows the body to regulate blood sugar levels). Without this chemical, blood sugar levels can reach dangerous levels and can cause the person to become extremely unwell. If glucose levels become extremely out of balance, the persona can have seizures - just as those mentioned by Amelia.
Part of the X Factor show involves singing in front of a large audience - naturally, when performing in front of such a large audience the body produces adrenaline. Adrenaline uses a large amount of energy, which affects blood sugar levels. In order to counter-balance these fluctuations, Amelia has to take appropriate action before she goes on stage.
The soon-to-be starlet was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 14 years ago and has to regularly inject insulin - as do many other people who suffer from the condition. Injecting insulin allows the body's sugar levels to return to a safe level. Because she has had the condition for so long, Amelia knows the tell tale signs before she has a hyperglycaemic episode, so she can act accordingly. She can tell if an episode is approaching as she will often shake or feel that she needs to eat chocolate.
One of Amelia's greatest fears that she deals with constantly is that she could go blind if she has a particularly bad episode. High levels of glucose damaging the blood vessels in the eyes can cause blindness in people with type 1 diabetes. Amelia plans to put her new found fame to good use by raising awareness of the condition.
