Diabetes Types
There are three different diabetes types and each one of them has to do with the use of insulin in blood cells. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in people under the age of 30 and this is the type that is prevalent in children. Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in people over the age of 40, and the third of the diabetes types, gestational diabetes, only occurs in pregnant women. All three diabetes types have similar symptoms, although gestational diabetes can have no symptoms at all. Typical symptoms include frequent urination (polyuria), thirst (polydipsia), feeling hungry all the time, weight loss, blurred vision and fatigue.
Overall, diabetes is a disease that is present when the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin in the proper amount or when the body’s cells are resistant to insulin. Insulin is needed by the body for the glucose produced from food to be converted into energy. High blood sugar levels, if untreated, can lead to very serious consequences including coma, heart disease, kidney failure, retinal damage, nerve damage and impotence. In all of the three diabetes types, wounds or skin abrasions are slow to heal and can lead to gangrene, a leading cause of amputation, especially of the foot.
Type 1 diabetes can come on suddenly and there is no preventative treatment or cure. It occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin, usually from being attacked by the body’s own immune system. This is the type of diabetes that is most often present in children and young adults. Type 1 diabetes that goes untreated will lead to death. Treatment includes daily injections of insulin by syringe or by a small pump, about the size of a battery, that can be inserted under the skin. People with type 1 diabetes need insulin injections for the rest of their lives. A normal life is possible through medication, a healthy diet and daily exercise.
Type 2 Diabetes also involves the use of insulin by cells in the body. In this case the cells develop insulin resistance and blood sugar is not converted to energy. Type 2 diabetes has always been a disease prevalent in those people over 40 but due to a sedentary lifestyle and higher occurrence of obesity, is being seen more and more in children and young adults. Symptoms can be mild and many times people have had the disease for years before it is diagnosed and treated. Treatment is usually a change to a healthy diet, increased exercise, and oral medication. In later stages, it is common for oral medication to be replaced by insulin injections.
The last of the three type of diabetes is gestational diabetes. It is very similar in characteristics and treatment to type 2 diabetes, but it only occurs in pregnant women. The disease usually disappears after the baby is delivered. It is thought to be caused
by insulin resistance in the placenta. Left untreated it can cause harm both to the baby and mother. Treatment, as in other forms of diabetes, is oral medication or insulin injections, combined with a nutritional diet and regular exercise.
No matter which of these three diabetes type you may develop, as long as you see a doctor regularly, take the appropriate medications, and include a healthy diet and exercise, you should be able to control your blood sugar levels and lead a long and active life.