Type 1 diabetes facts for kids

Type 1 diabetes is a health condition where your body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the cells that make insulin. Insulin is a very important hormone that helps your body use sugar for energy. Without enough insulin, sugar builds up in your blood, which can cause serious health problems. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin injections every day to stay healthy. About 15% of people with diabetes have type 1.

What Causes Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes happens because your body doesn't make enough insulin. Insulin is made by special cells called beta cells in an organ called the pancreas, which is located behind your stomach.

Think of insulin as a key that unlocks your body's cells. When you eat, food turns into sugar (glucose) in your blood. Insulin helps move this sugar from your blood into your cells, where it's used for energy.

In type 1 diabetes, your own immune system gets confused. Instead of fighting off germs, it attacks and damages the beta cells in your pancreas. When these cells are damaged, they can't make insulin anymore. This means sugar stays in your bloodstream instead of going into your cells, leading to high blood sugar levels.

Scientists believe that genes play a big role in who gets type 1 diabetes. However, they don't yet know exactly what triggers the immune system to start attacking the pancreas.

Who Gets Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes used to be thought of as a condition that only affected children and teenagers. But now we know that adults can also be diagnosed with it.

Even though it can happen at any age, type 1 diabetes is one of the most common long-term health conditions in kids and young adults. It's often diagnosed when children are between 5 and 7 years old, or when they start puberty. Boys are slightly more likely to get type 1 diabetes than girls.

The number of people getting type 1 diabetes has been slowly increasing around the world for many years. In the United States, about 1 in 300 people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes by the time they are 18. If this trend continues, the number of cases could double in the next ten years.

What Are the Symptoms?

The symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually appear quite quickly, over a few days or weeks. In adults, it might take a bit longer. If you or someone you know has these symptoms, it's important to see a doctor right away:

• Feeling very thirsty all the time (this is called polydipsia)
• Needing to use the bathroom more often than usual, especially at night (this is called polyuria)
• Feeling very tired or exhausted
• Losing weight without trying
• Having blurry vision
• Wounds or cuts healing very slowly

More serious symptoms include feeling sick to your stomach (nausea), throwing up (vomiting), and having trouble breathing. If these symptoms appear, it means the condition is more advanced, and the person needs to go to the hospital immediately.

What Are the Complications?

If type 1 diabetes isn't managed well, people can experience both short-term and long-term health problems.

Short-Term Problems

Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycaemia)

Hypoglycaemia happens when your blood sugar levels drop too low. This can happen if someone takes too much insulin or doesn't eat enough. Drinking alcohol can also increase the risk. Symptoms can include feeling confused, clumsy, having seizures, or even losing consciousness.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a very serious problem that needs urgent medical help. It happens when there isn't enough insulin in the body. To get energy, the body starts burning fat, which creates acidic chemicals called ketones.

If too many ketones build up, your blood becomes too acidic, which can harm your body. Symptoms of DKA include:

• Vomiting
• Being very dehydrated
• Having difficulty breathing
• A fast heartbeat
• Feeling confused
• Falling into a coma

Long-Term Problems

If blood sugar levels stay high for a long time, even if it's just a little bit high, it can damage nerves, organs, and blood vessels throughout the body.

Damage to Small Blood Vessels

• Eye problems (Diabetic retinopathy): High blood sugar can damage the tiny blood vessels that supply blood to your eyes. This can harm the retina (the back part of your eye that senses light), leading to blurry vision, vision loss, or even blindness.
• Nerve damage (Diabetic neuropathy): Damaged blood vessels near nerves can reduce blood flow to them. This can cause numbness, tingling, or pain, usually starting in the hands or feet and sometimes spreading.
• Kidney problems (Diabetic nephropathy): The small blood vessels in your kidneys can get damaged, making your kidneys work less effectively. In severe cases, this can lead to kidney failure.

Damage to Large Blood Vessels

• Heart disease and stroke: People with type 1 diabetes have a higher chance of developing heart disease and having a stroke.
• Poor circulation (Peripheral arterial disease): Blood vessels can narrow, especially in the legs and feet, reducing blood flow.
• Foot problems (Diabetic foot): Poor circulation and nerve damage in the feet can make it harder for wounds to heal. This can lead to serious infections, ulcers, and in very severe cases, a part of the foot might need to be removed (amputation).

How Is Type 1 Diabetes Managed?

Right now, there is no cure for type 1 diabetes. The main goal of treatment is to keep blood sugar levels as normal as possible. This helps prevent or slow down the development of complications. Managing type 1 diabetes usually involves two main approaches:

Healthy Lifestyle Choices

• Eating well: Eating a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, and limiting unhealthy fats, salt, and sugar, helps keep blood sugar levels steady.
• Being active: Regular physical activity helps lower your blood sugar. A good goal is to get about 150 minutes of exercise each week.
• Avoiding smoking: Smoking greatly increases the risk of heart disease and circulation problems. Quitting or reducing smoking is very important.
• Limiting alcohol: Alcohol can make blood sugar levels go up or down unpredictably, making it harder to manage your diabetes. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.

Insulin Injections

Since the body with type 1 diabetes can't produce its own insulin, people need to inject insulin manually. When someone is first diagnosed, doctors create a careful plan for insulin treatment to make sure they get the right amount.

People with type 1 diabetes need to check their blood sugar levels regularly throughout the day. This helps them know when they need an insulin dose to lower their blood sugar.

There are different types of insulin:

• Rapid-acting insulin and short-acting insulin work very quickly. They are usually taken before meals to help control the rise in blood sugar after eating.
• Long-acting insulin provides insulin for up to 24 hours. It's generally taken once a day to provide a steady background level of insulin.

See also

In Spanish: Diabetes mellitus tipo 1 para niños