Type 1 diabetes treatments
Understanding the types of type 1 diabetes treatments available and how they get close to your body’s natural insulin response.
Type 1 diabetes affects the body's ability to convert glucose from food into energy.
Table of contents
What is type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when your body cannot make insulin or makes very little insulin. 1
Type 1 diabetes can be controlled by following your healthcare professional's advice.
Type 1 diabetes (once known as “insulin-dependent diabetes”) is an autoimmune disorder. In type 1 diabetes the insulin-making cells in the pancreas known as ‘islet’ or ‘beta’ cells are destroyed.
When living with type 1 diabetes
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes
In most cases, type 1 diabetes develops early in life and is often diagnosed during childhood. 3
Signs of type 1 diabetes include: 1,2
- Excessive urination as your body expels excess glucose
- Extreme thirst resulting from urination
- Muscle cramps as fluid loss creates an imbalance in electrolytes in your blood
- Rapid weight loss as your body uses fat for energy when cells cannot absorb glucose
- Tiredness and fatigue as energy from glucose cannot reach your body’s cells
- Thrush/genital itching, yeast infections as glucose in urine provides a breeding ground for fungus and bacteria
- Blurry vision caused by high glucose levels in the fluid of your eye
- Sweet or fruity-smelling breath as acids are released when your body uses non-glucose energy sources
If you or a loved one experience any of these symptoms, please seek medical support immediately.
‘Glucose’ and ‘sugar’ mean the same thing - they are used interchangably when talking about diabetes care.
What causes type 1 diabetes?
The disease starts when the immune system attacks cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, the hormone that helps convert glucose into energy for the body’s cells. As more insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are destroyed, the body can no longer control its blood sugar levels and the symptoms of type 1 diabetes begin to appear.1
Genetic and environmental factors are suspected to play a role in why a person develops type 1 diabetes.1
There are certain genetic factors which make some individuals more vulnerable to developing type 1 diabetes. Factors in the environment also contribute and research is ongoing to try to understand these better. Type 1 diabetes starts more frequently in young people and insulin is always needed from diagnosis.
Diagnosing type 1 diabetes
If you show signs of having type 1 diabetes, your doctor may use blood or urine tests to diagnose it. There are several ways this can be done. An initial test can be a simple blood glucose test. If your test results are above normal and you have the common symptoms, you may be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.1,2
If you do not have the common symptoms, but your blood glucose or urine blood glucose level is high, additional blood tests can be taken to measure HbA1C levels.1 HbA1C is a measure of how well controlled your blood glucose levels has been over three months, and it gives a good idea of how high or low, on average, your blood glucose levels have been. This chart compares normal levels with those indicating type 1 or type 2 diabetes.4
Living with type 1 diabetes
Since type 1 diabetes can develop quickly without any clear warning signs, getting a diagnosis may come as quite a shock. 3
The best thing that you can do is take control of the situation and learn as much as possible about type 1 diabetes, the treatment options and how it can affect daily life. Talk to your doctor for more information and advice. There are also many resources available for and by diabetes communities worldwide. The more you know, the more prepared you will be to deal with the challenges ahead.
With good management of blood glucose levels and an overall healthy lifestyle, most people with type 1 diabetes can live a long and active life. Hear more about the experiences of someone with type 1 diabetes by clicking on the video below.5
Get familiar with diabetes type 1 and 2, how to live your best life with diabetes
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January 2024. IE23DI00247
References
- NIDDK. Type 1 diabetes. Available from: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/type-1-diabetes. Last accessed: May 2022.
- NIDDK. Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes. Available from: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/prediabetes-insulin-resistance. Last accessed: May 2022.
- Diabetes UK. Type 1 diabetes. Available at: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/types-of-diabetes/type-1. Last accessed May 2022.
- Diabetes UK. What is HBA1C? Availablle from: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/hba1c#:~:text=The%20hemoglobin%20A1c%20(HbA1c)%20test,your%20diabetes%20is%20being%20controlled. Last accessed: May 2022.
- Diabetes.co.uk. Diabetes life expectancy. Available from: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-life-expectancy.html. Last accessed: May 2022.
- American Diabetes Association. 2. Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022 Diabetes Care. 2022 Jan 1;45(Suppl 1):S17-S38.
- Diabetes.co.uk. Blood sugar level ranges. Available from: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html#:~:text=Normal%20and%20diabetic%20blood%20sugar%20ranges&text=Between%204.0%20to%205.4%20mmol,dL)%202%20hours%20after%20eating Last accessed: May 2022.