• Facts about diabetes
• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• Gestational diabetes
• Glossary
• What is diabetes?
• Treating diabetes
• Manage your diabetes

• 
• Print

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that is treated with injections of insulin. Injections must be given each day and some people require multiple injections a day to help maintain blood glucose control.

Type 1 diabetes develops when an "autoimmune reaction" destroys beta cells in the pancreas. Autoimmune reaction means that the body creates antibodies against its own cells. As a result, the pancreas stops producing insulin or cannot produce enough insulin on its own.

Watch the video to learn more about type 1 diabetes.

Treatment involves daily insulin injections, in conjunction with healthy eating and regular exercise. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes are usually:

• Extreme thirst
• Frequent urination
• Sugar in the urine
• An acetone-like smell around the body
• Fatigue, weakness, drowsiness
• Excessive weight loss over a short period of time, for no apparent reason

Although the cause of diabetes is unknown, there are certain risk factors that can increase the risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Risk factors for type 1 diabetes include:

• Ethnic background or race (more common in people of Caucasian descent)
• Having a parent with type 1 diabetes

Back to top

• ® 2013 Novo Nordisk A/S
• Disclaimer / Privacy
• Cookies