Understanding Type 1 Diabetes: Causes, Symptoms & Risk Factors

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that occurs when a person cannot create enough insulin to control their levels of blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes was formerly referred to as juvenile diabetes; although it can develop at any age, it occurs most often in children and young adults.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include fatigue, hunger, thirst, weight loss, blurry eyesight, numb feet and frequent urination.

Risk Factors

• Caucasians develop type 1 diabetes more frequently than other races. Type 1 diabetes occurs less frequently in people who were breastfed.

Triggers

• Cold weather may trigger type 1 diabetes. Onsets occur more frequently in winter than in summer. Some scientists believe that viruses that do not affect most people may trigger type 1 diabetes in others.

Genetics

• Genes play a factor in type 1 diabetes, but environmental causes are also important. When an identical twin has type 1 diabetes, the other twin develops the condition approximately half the time.

Diagnosis

• Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed with blood tests, including fasting blood glucose level, oral glucose tolerance test, and random blood glucose.