Type 1 diabetes: questions and answers
Q: How common is type 1 diabetes?
A: Type 1 represents 10-15 per cent of all cases of diabetes.
Q: Can you catch type 1 diabetes?
A: No. Diabetes is NOT a contagious disease.
Q: Can anything be done to lessen the chances of getting type 1 diabetes?
A: No. Type 1 is NOT a lifestyle disease and as yet cannot be prevented.
Q: What causes type 1 diabetes?
A: Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas gland no longer produces enough insulin to convert glucose into energy. The reasons for this are as yet unknown.
Q: Can type 1 diabetes be cured?
A: As yet there is no cure. However, researchers throughout the world are confident a cure for type 1 diabetes will be found in the not-too-distant future.
Q: Who usually gets it?
A: Type 1 diabetes is often diagnosed during childhood or young adulthood but can occur at any age.
Q: How is it treated?
A: Type 1 diabetes requires several insulin injections every day for life, and balancing a disciplined eating plan, regular exercise and monitoring of blood glucose levels.
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: One or more of the following symptoms can exist at the same time:
- being constantly tired;
- feeling extremely thirsty;
- passing more urine than normal;
- unexplained weight loss; and
- weakness and fatigue.
Symptoms are often abrupt and, if untreated, can be life threatening.
Q: Can diabetes cause long-term damage?
A: Yes. Untreated or poorly managed diabetes can lead to a number of complications:
- damage to eyes leading to loss of vision;
- artery damage increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke;
- kidney damage;
- nerve damage in the toes and feet, increasing the risk of amputation;
- impotence in men; and
- pregnancy complications.
Q: Is type 1 diabetes on the increase?
A: The incidence of type 1 diabetes has risen by 30 per cent in Australia in the past 5 years for reasons as yet unknown.
Last Reviewed: 07 July 2003
