Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition, meaning constantly-recurring, in which your body’s immune system destroys specific cells in your pancreas, resulting in your pancreas producing little or none of the hormone that regulates glucose in the blood.
This causes high blood sugar on account of blood sugar not being able to enter the cells in your body where it can be used for energy, which in itself causes the majority of symptoms associated with diabetes, such dehydration, weight loss, fatigue, mood changes, ketoacidosis, and many others.
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Complications
Left untreated, type 1 diabetes can lead to more severe, potentially life-threatening complications such as:
- Heart and blood vessel disease
- Nerve damage (neuropathy)
- Kidney damage (nephropathy)
- Eye damage
- Foot damage
- Skin and mouth conditions
- Pregnancy complications
While nearly 30 million people suffer from diabetes in the United States, only 1.25 million of those people have type 1 diabetes – about 5-percent. It also tends to affect males and females equally. Unfortunately, there is neither a known form of prevention nor a cure for type 1 diabetes. There is, however, an effective form of treatment in the form of managing blood sugar levels with a prescribed hormone that allows your body to use glucose for energy.