What is Type 1 Diabetes?


  • Type 1 Diabetes is a disease where a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin. Insulin helps the body control the amount of blood sugar present, so without insulin there is no way to control this
  • Type 1 Diabetes affects how a person goes about their day, from eating to exercising, but people live happy, healthy lives while managing their diabetes
  • Knowing what is happening in your body when blood sugar levels rise and fall is important:
    • Your body tries to maintain steady levels of blood sugar throughout the day, and the process of maintaining these levels is called homeostasis
    • When blood sugar levels rise, insulin is needed to cause the cells in your body to take in glucose (sugar) to try to bring the levels back down to steady levels - The top half of the diagram on the right shows this process
    • When blood sugar levels fall, glucagon is released to put more sugar into your blood to bring the levels back up - The bottom half of the diagram shows this
    • Since your body can’t naturally produce insulin, you need to help make sure your body is staying within normal levels
  • From the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), here are some key videos describing Type 1 Diabetes:
Insulin feedback loop diagram