Diabetes – type 1

What is Diabetes

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

It happens when your body cannot 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. 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. Type 1 diabetes is not linked with age or being overweight – these things are linked with type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms

• 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 are not healing
• fruity-smelling breath

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

Getting tested for type 1 diabetes

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

When to call the doctor or hospital?

• • When you have a fver (38 degrees or more)
  • When you feel confused
  • Eating sweets does not help when sugar level is too low.
  • You have diarrhea
  • You have injected too much insulin
  • If you are throwing up

Source: NHSinform