ABOUT DIABETES

Understanding Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Testing, coupled with education about diabetes symptoms and close follow-up, has been shown to enable earlier diagnosis and to prevent diabetes ketoacidosis.

What is type 1 diabetes?

When you have type 1 diabetes, your immune system mistakenly treats the beta cells in your pancreas that create insulin as foreign invaders and destroys them. When enough beta cells are destroyed, your pancreas can’t make insulin or makes so little of it that you need to take insulin to live.

Insulin is a hormone that helps blood glucose (blood sugar) enter your body’s cells so that it can be used as energy. If you have diabetes, blood glucose can’t enter your cells so it builds up in your bloodstream. This causes high blood glucose (hyperglycemia). Over time, high blood glucose harms your body and can lead to diabetes-related complications if not treated.

Most of the time, type 1 diabetes is diagnosed in young people, but it can develop in anyone at any age. Scientists and researchers today aren’t sure how to prevent type 1 diabetes or what triggers it.

If you have type 1 diabetes, you can live a long, healthy life by having a strong support system and managing it with your diabetes care team. The treatment plan you develop with your diabetes care team will include insulin, physical activity, and an eating plan to reach your health goals.

Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms

If you or your child have the following symptoms of diabetes, let your health care provider know. Symptoms include:

Urinating often
Feeling very thirsty
Feeling very hungry—even though you are eating
Extreme fatigue
Blurry vision
Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
Weight loss—even though you are eating more

It’s important to know when you first develop type 1 diabetes, you may not have any symptoms at all.

The Honeymoon Phase

Some people with type 1 diabetes have a "honeymoon" period, a brief period of time where your body is producing enough insulin to lower blood glucose levels. The honeymoon phase usually happens after you start taking insulin and you may not need as much to manage your blood glucose. Work with your diabetes care team for treatment and care to avoid complications like hypoglycemia. A honeymoon period can last as little as a week or even up to a year. It’s important to know that the absence of symptoms doesn't mean the diabetes is gone. The pancreas will eventually be unable to make enough insulin, and, if untreated, the symptoms will return.

Is it Possible You Don't Have Type 2 Diabetes?

If you or someone you know is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but isn’t able to manage it with the typical treatments for type 2 diabetes, it may be worth a visit to an endocrinologist to verify what type of diabetes you have. Generally, this requires antibody tests and possibly the measurement of a C-peptide level. It is important to be sure that your diagnosis is correct because that will determine your treatment plan, allowing you manage your diabetes and prevent its complications.

Children with Type 1 Diabetes

Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Learning Your Risk for Tpe 1 Diabet

Why Learning Your Risk Helps