Diabetes means your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too
high. With type 1 diabetes, your pancreas does not make insulin. Insulin is a hormone that
helps glucose get into your cells to give them energy. Without insulin, too much glucose
stays in your blood. Over time, high blood glucose can lead to serious problems with your
heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves, and gums and teeth.
Type 1 diabetes happens most often in children and young adults but can appear at any
age. Symptoms may include
Being very thirsty
Urinating often
Feeling very hungry or tired
Losing weight without trying
Having sores that heal slowly
Having dry, itchy skin
Losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your feet
Having blurry eyesight
A blood test can show if you have diabetes. If you do, you will need to take insulin for
the rest of your life. A blood test called the A1C can check to see how well you are managing your diabetes.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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