Type I diabetes is a common condition within the United States with something in the region of about one million sufferers and some 10,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. It is especially common in children and young adolescents, but is also often seen in adults in their late 30s or early 40s.

Type I diabetes is essentially an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas which produce insulin and production is either significantly reduced or eliminated altogether. Exactly what triggers this autoimmune response is unknown although it may well be triggered by some forms of viral infection. There are also various theories that it may be caused by the production of antibodies in response to the protein in cow’s milk, a reaction to excessive levels of vitamin D or a reaction to certain drugs, including some antibiotics. At the end of the day, however, the true cause of type I diabetes remains a mystery.

The failure of the body to produce insulin results in a buildup of glucose within the blood and it is this which gives rise to a wide range of symptoms.

In many people the first signs of type I diabetes will be an inability to regulate water within the body which will be seen as excessive urination and thirst. At the same time, because the body is not able to take up the glucose that it needs from the blood to provide it with energy, the brain also triggers the need to eat and sufferers feel very hungry. Additional symptoms caused directly as a result of the failure of the body to receive the energy that it needs are a feeling of tiredness, as well as increasing nausea and blurred vision.

Other symptoms to look out for will include muscle cramps, which are often caused by an electrolyte (sodium, potassium, calcium, or bicarbonate) imbalance and numbness or tingling in both the hands and feet.

It is also quite common to experience a drop in weight which may in part be the result of the body burning fat to replace its lost source of glucose energy, but which is much more the result of the body’s loss of water. As it is unusual for someone with an increased appetite to start losing weight this is often a good indication of the presence of type I diabetes.

Also, although bedwetting is common in young children, a marked increase in involuntary urination during the night can also be a sign of the onset of type 1 diabetes.

In most cases the onset of type 1 type diabetes will be quite gradual and by the time the symptoms are severe enough to warrant a visit to the doctor he will be able to trace the onset of the disease back several weeks or even months. In other cases however the symptoms can appear quite suddenly as an emergency which will require a visit to a hospital emergency room. In this case nausea, vomiting and severe stomach pains can lead quickly to breathing difficulty and the sufferer can lapse into a coma and die without prompt treatment.