Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes causes the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood to become too high.

July 2018

It happens when your body can't produce enough of a hormone called insulin which controls blood glucose. You need daily injections of insulin to keep your blood glucose levels under control.

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Managing type 1 diabetes can take time to get used to, but you can still do all the things you enjoy. This guide is here to help.

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Type 1 diabetes isn't linked with age or being overweight – this is type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes:

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• Feeling very thirsty

• Peeing more than usual, particularly at night

• Feeling very tired

• Losing weight without trying

• Thrush that keeps coming back

• Blurred vision

• Cuts and grazes that aren't healing

Type 1 diabetes symptoms can come on quickly, particularly in children.

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Getting tested for type 1 diabetes

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Your Doctor will do a urine test and might check your blood glucose (sugar) level. If they think you might have diabetes, they will advise you to go to hospital straight away for an assessment.

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You'll stay in hospital until you get the blood test results. This is usually the same day.

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If you are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a diabetes nurse will show you the things you need to do to start managing it, such as testing your own blood glucose and how to inject insulin