Symptoms

The process that destroys the insulin-producing beta cells can be long and invisible. At the point when insulin production bottoms out, however, type 1 diabetes usually appears suddenly and progresses quickly. Warning signs of type 1 diabetes include:

• Frequent urination (in children, a recurrence of bed-wetting after toilet training has been completed)
• Unusual thirst, especially for sweet, cold drinks
• Extreme hunger
• Sudden, sometimes dramatic, weight loss
• Weakness
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurred vision or other changes in eyesight
• Irritability
• Nausea and vomiting

Children with type 1 diabetes may also be restless, apathetic, and have trouble functioning at school. In severe cases, diabetic coma may be the first sign of type 1 diabetes.

Review Date: 05/05/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)