Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a long-term condition. It can lead to serious health problems.
But making changes to your lifestyle and taking insulin can help you live a long
and healthy life.
We’ve looked at the best and most up-to-date research to produce this information.You
can use it to talk to your doctor and decide which treatments are right for you.
What is it?
If you have diabetes, you have too much glucose in your blood. Glucose is a kind of
sugar that your body uses for energy. But if it builds up in your blood, it can make you
ill.
There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. This information is for people
with type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes usually starts when you are a teenager.
Everyone needs a hormone called insulin to keep their blood glucose at a healthy level.
But when you have type 1 diabetes, your body stops making insulin or makes very little
of it. This kind of diabetes used to be called insulin-dependent diabetes, because it can
be controlled by taking insulin.