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What is type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes causes the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood to become too high.

It happens when your body cannot produce enough of a hormone called insulin which controls blood glucose. You need daily injections of insulin to keep your blood glucose levels under control.

Managing type 1 diabetes can take time to get used to, but you can still do all the things you enjoy. This guide is here to help.

Different factors, including genetics and some viruses, may contribute to type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. This is where the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin.

Type 1 diabetes can be diagnosed at any age.

Page last reviewed: 1 August 2020
Next review due: 1 August 2023

This project has received funding from the Government of Ireland’s Sláintecare Integration Fund 2019 under Grant Agreement Number 9.