Diabetes Research Center
Type I Diabetes
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is, at least initially, much more serious than type 2. Type 1 diabetes is sometimes referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes. It used to be known as juvenile diabetes because most people develop it when they are children or teenagers. Type 2 diabetes also is known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes. In the past, it was often referred to as adult-onset diabetes because it usually occurs after age 40. Unlike type 2 diabetes, there is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes.
You have type 1 diabetes if your pancreas cannot make enough insulin to help glucose get inside your cells. This type of diabetes occurs when the cells in the pancreas that make insulin are attacked by your body's own immune defense system, which mistakes these insulin-producing cells for germs and tries to destroy them. Doctors do not know exactly what makes the immune system attack healthy tissue; some think a virus may be the cause.
Type 1 diabetes will make you feel very sick very quickly because you cannot survive for long without insulin. People who have type 1 diabetes must give themselves shots of insulin every day just to stay alive. In addition to taking shots of insulin to help regulate the level of glucose in their blood, people with type 1 diabetes work very closely with their doctor, nurses and a dietitian (a person who is trained to provide education and counseling about nutrition) to establish an individualized treatment program. This program will include a meal plan designed just for them, which they must carefully follow to control their diabetes.
If you have type 1 diabetes, you already know a lot about the disease. You should be following your doctor's instructions and actively controlling your illness to keep yourself healthy.
Source: American Medical Association