02033158128 / 07816079385

Shivaani Kaushik ^{Diabetes Clinical Nurse Specialist}
Shivaani.kaushik@nhs.net

02033153114 / 07900763586

This happens because your body attacks the cells in your pancreas that make the insulin, meaning you can’t produce any at all. 

We all need insulin to live. It does an essential job. It allows the glucose in our blood to enter our cells and fuel our bodies. 

When you have type 1 diabetes, your body still breaks down the carbohydrate from food and drink and turns it into glucose. But when the glucose enters your bloodstream, there’s no insulin to allow it into your body’s cells. More and more glucose then builds up in your bloodstream, leading to high blood sugar levels.

You can also deliver insulin when you're about to eat (known as bolus or mealtime insulin) or you need to bring down high blood glucose levels. When you need to, you can spread your bolus insulin over a period of time from 15 minutes to several hours, which gives you more flexibility on what you can eat and when.