Diabetes is a condition with which many struggle, an estimated 23 million Americans having some form of the disease. Though there are two major types, each has very different causes and treatments, leading to a great deal of confusion from anyone not familiar with nutrition or medicine. Read on if you’re curious about the cause of type 1 diabetes, as well as about how it can be treated.

Both major types of diabetes involve how our bodies interact with insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates metabolism. In healthy bodies, insulin enters our bloodstreams after meals to help process the food we’ve just eaten as it is broken down into its component chemicals. One of these compounds, glucose, is a simple sugar used for energy. Our body’s increased insulin production enables the produced glucose to enter cells, where it is either burned for immediate use or stored in fats for later.

In type 1 diabetes, this process does not happen. Formerly referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes, this type is often developed during childhood. The body simply does not produce insulin, as the cells in the pancreas responsible for its production are destroyed. This is usually due to the body’s immune system turning on itself, thus destroying the very cells it needs to function. As such, type 1 diabetes is classified as an autoimmune disease. The specific cause for this attack is unknown, though scientists suspect a combination of environmental and genetic factors, and research is ongoing.

Without insulin, glucose does not enter cells and is neither burned for energy or stored for future use. As a result, type 1 diabetes causes those having it to become hyperglycemic, a condition that results from a high concentration of glucose in the blood. Since these sugars are not used, they are instead excreted via excessive urination, and major weight loss is a common sign of diabetes. Also, as the body is not getting its necessary nutrients, weight loss and intense hunger or thirst are common early symptoms. Those with a type 1 diabetes diagnosis experiencing any of these symptoms are likely experiencing hyperglycemia, and should act quickly to monitor and adjust blood sugar levels to avoid further complications.

Since the type 1 diabetes cause is lack of insulin, it follows that its treatment is daily doses of insulin. While it is a lifelong condition for which there is no known cure, those who manage it attentively and as directed by a physician can easily live happy, healthy, and long lives with very little inconvenience. Fortunately, there are many tools on the market to help in managing type 1 diabetes, and to make doing so an easy aspect of even the busiest of lives.