Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin.
What is an autoimmune condition?
An autoimmune condition essentially means that your own immune system destroys your own cells. In the case of Type 1 Diabetes, the islet cells in the pancreas have been destroyed so they can no longer produce insulin.
What is the pancreas?
The pancreas is an organ in the human body which is part of the digestive system – much like the stomach, intestines etc. The pancreas is also a gland, which secretes hormones, including insulin.
What is insulin?
Insulin is a hormone which is responsible for regulating blood sugar levels, also known as blood glucose levels.
When you eat carbohydrates found in food, your digestive system breaks this down to glucose, and so your blood sugar levels increase.
Normally, insulin will be released by the pancreas in response, and the blood sugar levels remain in a normal range.
However, in Type 1 Diabetes, no insulin is released by the pancreas.
Instead, Type 1 Diabetics need to self-administer insulin. This is usually done by insulin pens and needles, or an insulin pump via a cannula under the skin.
Put that together and you get type 1 diabetes!
Left untreated, T1D symptoms can manifest as extreme thirst, tiredness, going to the toilet a lot, and losing weight.
Read all about symptoms of type 1 diabetes here.
Symptoms arise mainly due to the effects high blood sugar levels have on the every day functioning of the human body.
Without insulin, this can lead to diabetic ketoacidiosis, or DKA, which is how many people are diagnosed.
This is a serious, life threatening condition, often requiring ICU stays and multiple drips of insulin, glucose solution, and electrolytes.
But symptoms and diagnosis stories will be saved for another post I reckon!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my first post.
Whether you are type 1 diabetic, a carer, or simply interested to learn more, please consider signing up for notifications for when I upload a new post.
Expect lots more educational content, travel tips, and plenty more!
Love, Lydia x
LYD1A KERR 
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