Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children or young adults, although it can occur at any age. Roughly 3% of children and adolescents have diabetes.
The onset of type 1 diabetes is often sudden and can include the following symptoms:
- Abnormal thirst and a dry mouth
- Frequent urination
- Extreme tiredness/lack of energy
- Sudden weight loss
- Slow-healing wounds
- Recurrent infections
- Blurred vision
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system destroys the beta cells found in the pancreas—the cells that create insulin. As a result, the body makes very little or no insulin of its own.
A person with type 1 diabetes supplies their body with insulin in one of the following ways:
- Insulin pen
- Injections with a syringe
- Insulin pump or Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) system
Insulin therapy along with following a healthy meal-plan, regular physical activity and frequently blood sugar testing are important in management of type 1 diabetes.
References:
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026. Diabetes Care. 2026;49(suppl 1):S1-S371. doi:10.2337/dc26-SINT.
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