Type 1 Diabetes

What is Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that affects how your body deals with sugar in your blood. Your body needs a hormone called insulin to help sugar get from your blood into your cells, where it's used for energy. In type 1 diabetes, your body stops making insulin completely.

Think of insulin like a key that opens the door to let sugar into your cells. Without this key, sugar builds up in your blood instead of going where it needs to go. This high blood sugar can make you feel very unwell and, over time, can damage different parts of your body.

Type 1 diabetes usually starts in children, teenagers, or young adults, but it can happen at any age. It's different from type 2 diabetes, which is more common in older adults.

What Causes Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes happens when your body's immune system (which normally fights infections) mistakenly attacks and destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. We don't fully understand why this happens, but it's not caused by eating too much sugar or being overweight.

You can't prevent type 1 diabetes, and it's not your fault if you develop it. It often runs in families, but most people with type 1 diabetes don't have a family member with the condition.

Signs to Watch For

The symptoms of type 1 diabetes can develop quickly, sometimes over just a few weeks. Common signs include:

• Feeling very thirsty all the time
• Needing to pass urine much more often, especially at night
• Feeling very tired
• Losing weight without trying
• Blurred vision
• Cuts and wounds healing slowly

When to Get Urgent Help

Speak to your GP straight away or call 111 if you notice these symptoms. If you feel very unwell with:

• Fast, deep breathing
• Being sick or unable to keep food down
• Tummy pain
• Sweet or fruity smell on your breath
• Feeling confused or drowsy

Call 999 or go to A&E immediately - these could be signs of a serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis.

Living With Type 1 Diabetes

If you're diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you'll need to take insulin for the rest of your life. This might sound scary, but many people with type 1 diabetes live full, active lives.

You'll learn how to:

• Check your blood sugar levels regularly
• Give yourself insulin injections or use an insulin pump
• Count carbohydrates in your food
• Spot and treat low blood sugar
• Manage your diabetes during illness or exercise

Your diabetes team will include specialists who will teach you everything you need to know. This includes diabetes nurses, dietitians, and doctors who understand the condition well.

Getting Support

Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes can feel overwhelming, but you're not alone. Your GP practice and local diabetes team will support you every step of the way. There are also support groups and charities like Diabetes UK that can provide helpful information and connect you with others who understand what you're going through.

Remember, while type 1 diabetes is a serious condition that needs daily management, with the right care and support, you can stay healthy and do everything you want to do in life.

Based on NHS.uk guidance. Written by Dr Krishnan Pasupathi, NHS GP.