How do you get type 1 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which means that a person’s immune system turns on itself and destroys cells. In type 1 diabetes the cells that are destroyed are those of the pancreas, which is the organ that produces the insulin that the body needs to function. Without insulin your blood cannot process blood sugar. Because blood sugar cannot be processed it accumulates in the bloodstream, and the results of this can be fatal.

It is still unclear why the beta cells in the pancreas suddenly stop producing insulin, but according to About.com the reasons appear to be due to:

Genes – Some people are genetically predisposed to developing type-1 diabetes. If a person has a first-degree family member, such as a parent or sibling with type-1 diabetes, the risk of that person developing type 1 diabetes is high. Researchers have not …