What is Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition that makes the body unable to produce insulin, which is the hormone that regulates blood sugar.

Without insulin, our bodies cannot use the sugar in our bloodstream as energy, causing people to experience diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

What are the Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes?

There are many signs or symptoms that can be present when someone has undiagnosed or untreated diabetes. Here are the symptoms:

• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Unexplained weight loss
• Exhaustion

Ask your healthcare provider for a blood sugar or urine test.

Untreated type 1 diabetes can be life-threatening. Seek emergency medical care if you are experiencing:

• Fruity-smelling breath
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Rapid breathing
• Confusion
• Drowsiness

How Does Type 1 Diabetes Affect the Body?

• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition
  • This means that the body’s immune system attacks itself—much like celiac disease.
  • With type 1 diabetes, the body attacks the beta cells—also known as islet cells.
    • These are the cells in the body that produce insulin.
• Over time, people with type 1 diabetes lose all beta cells and cannot produce insulin.
  • Insulin is the hormone that allows the body to use glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream as energy
  • Insulin acts as a key that unlocks the body’s cells, allowing glucose to enter and be absorbed.
• Converting blood glucose is the body’s main way that it gets energy, so without insulin, it has to resort to breaking down bodily tissue such as muscle and fat stores.
• Another, potentially fatal, consequence for people with type 1 diabetes who aren’t on insulin therapy is DKAm, which occurs when there is an overload of glucose in the bloodstream because there is no regulating insulin.

What Causes Type 1 Diabetes?

• Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is neither preventable nor curable.
• While its cause is unknown, studies suggest that type 1 diabetesd results from a genetic predisposition—typically combined with an environmental trigger.

How Do You Manage Type 1 Diabetes?

• Living with type 1 diabetes requires constant attention to prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or long-term hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) complications.
• Blood sugar levels must be monitored either with finger pricks or a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).
• Insulin doses must then be carefully calculated based upon:
  • Activity and stress levels
  • Food intake
  • Illness
• These calculations are rarely perfect, resulting in a tremendous emotional and mental burden for both patients and caregivers.

There are Two Main Types of Diabetes

• Type 1 diabetes is an incurable, autoimmune disease, not a lifestyle disease.
  • Roughly 8.7 million people live with type 1 diabetes around the world.
  • People with type 1 diabetes are insulin-dependent for life. 
• Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease influenced by genetic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors.
  • Over 525 million people live with type 2 diabetes around the world.
  • Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body cannot properly use insulin, also known as insulin resistance, and can often be treated through diet, eexercise,and medication.

Learn about other forms of diabetes here.

Find out more about Beyond Type 1 and how to get involved!