Home > Type 1 Diabetes
What is it?
Diabetes mellitus occurs when the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood becomes higher than normal. There are two main types of diabetes. These are called type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is the type of diabetes that typically develops in children and young adults. In type 1 diabetes the body stops making insulin and the blood glucose level goes very high. Treatment to control the blood glucose level is with insulin injections and a healthy diet. Other treatments aim to reduce the risk of complications and include reducing blood pressure if it is high, and to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Type 1 diabetes can affect many major organs in your body, including your heart, blood vessels,
nerves, eyes and kidneys. Keeping your blood sugar level close to normal most of the time can dramatically reduce the risk of many complications. The complications of type 1 diabetes develop gradually, over years. If you develop diabetes at a young age and if your blood sugar levels are not well controlled, you are more likely to develop complications.
What are the complications associated with Type 1 diabetes?
- Heart and blood vessel disease. Diabetes can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure and other problems, including coronary artery disease.
- Nerve damage (neuropathy). Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your nerves, especially in the legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain. Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow can increase the risk of various foot complications. Left untreated, cuts and blisters can become serious infections.
- Skin and mouth conditions. Diabetes may leave you more prone to skin problems, including bacterial and fungal infections. Gum infections may also occur, which means that keeping your teeth and gums clean is very important.
- Kidney damage (nephropathy). The kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessel clusters that filter waste from your blood. Diabetes can damage this delicate filtering system.
- Eye damage. Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina at the back of your eyes (diabetic retinopathy), which in some cases can lead to blindness.
- Osteoporosis. Diabetes can affect the health of bones and may increase your risk of developing brittle bones.
- Hearing problems. Hearing loss occurs more often in people with diabetes.
