When you have type 1 diabetes, your pancreas cannot make insulin as your body’s immune system has attacked and destroyed the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. Glucose from food cannot be absorbed properly into the body’s cells without insulin, so the result is that your blood sugar levels get too high and this will make you sick if you do not receive treatment. With type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is incapable of producing insulin, so the solution is for a person with type 1 diabetes to receive insulin either through regular shots or an insulin pump. The symptoms of type 1 diabetes are not always obvious and can take time to develop; it can come on gradually or quite suddenly, depending on the person. If you have type 1 diabetes, you may experience the following symptoms: • You may need to urinate a lot, as the body tries to rid itself of excess blood sugar through the urine; • You may need to drink a lot of fluids to compensate for the amount lost due to frequent urination; • You may eat a lot, as the body is hungry because it is not getting the energy it needs from the sugar in the foods you consume; • Lose weight because your body is not receiving enough fuel and has begun to use fat to compensate; • You may feel tired constantly; • Women who develop diabetes are also more likely to suffer from vaginal yeast infections before diagnosis and treatment. If diabetes is not diagnosed and treatment does not begin, than chemicals begin build up in the blood which then cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, breathing problems, and loss of consciousness. This is called diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA. However, treatment can manage and reduce the risk of long-term issues and symptoms.