Type 1 diabetes is frequently shunted to the side in discussions of diabetes. Because Type 2 is far more common and has far more known about it, it is frequently the focus of news reports, prevention efforts, and diabetes education. Although this is understandable, it does leave some confusion surrounding what exactly Type 1 diabetes is and how to spot the symptoms.

Once called “juvenile” diabetes, Type 1 is more common in childhood or adolescence but has been known to rear its head in adulthood, as well. Some of the symptoms of Types 1 and 2 coincide, but many of them are in opposition, which makes the condition far more common to go unchecked.

4 Unusual Type 1 Symptoms

#1. Excessive Urination

High blood glucose overwhelms the kidneys, which cannot filter all of the sugar properly. Instead of moving the sugar to your bloodstream, the body attempts to dispel the sugar elsewhere, leading to excessive urine. Adults are expected to create 1-2 liters of urine each day, while someone with diabetes may urinate up to 3 liters.

#2. Weight Loss

Weight loss is one of the most unexpected Type 1 diabetes symptoms. Because most people have come to associate diabetes with being overweight or obese, the prospect of losing weight as a result of insulin trouble simply does not occur to them. This is also one of the reasons Type 1 diabetes can be so dangerous: some symptoms seem too bizarre to be related and go unnoticed.

#3. Yeast Infections

Because someone with Type 1 is no longer able to regulate sugar, sugar builds up in the body. Unfortunately, sugar feeds yeast, which can lead to recurring yeast infections in both males and females. Yeast infections can go unnoticed in children but are typically accompanied by pain or itching, which can give parents an indication that an infection may be present.

#4. Fruity Breath

Perhaps the most unexpected symptom of all, a persistent fruity smell in your breath may signal Type 1. While it is not unusual for your breath to have a fruity scent in the hour or so following fruit consumption, this smell should not persist hours or days later. Breath should have normal fluctuations throughout the day, some scents less pleasant than others. Fruity breath indicates the presence of ketones, which means that your blood glucose levels have reached dangerously high levels, and emergency attention is needed.

Untreated Type 1 diabetes is incredibly dangerous and can come on without advance warning. If you’ve noticed any of the above symptoms in yourself or your child, diabetes testing is an absolute must.