Your Guide to Diabetes and its Types

by Max Jones | Aug 22, 2015 | Diabetes | 0 comments

Diabetes is a chronic disease associated with hormonal imbalance and disturbance of blood sugar levels. There are different types of diabetes, and this guide will help you to understand them more easily.

Diabetes is a condition when the blood sugar levels rise too high. Blood glucose levels are maintained by the glucose that we take through our food and the hormone insulin produced by the pancreas. Insulin is very important hormone; it helps to take the glucose of the blood to different cells of the body. In the absence of the right amount of insulin, the glucose levels in the blood remain in the blood for a long time as it is not able to reach the different cells.

Signs and symptoms of diabetes:

There are various commons symptoms of diabetes, and they are as follows:

1. Frequent urination 2. Too much thirst 3. Feeling very tired 4. Feeling too much hungry 5. Loss of weight 6. Dry, itchy skin 7. Blurred vision 8. Too late healing of sores 9. Feeling of pins and needles pinching on the needles 10. Loss of sensation on feet

Types of diabetes:

There are three types of diabetes. Type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. Diabetes is a significant problem throughout the world. WHO has projected that the deaths due to diabetes will double between 2005 and 2030.

1. Type I diabetes

It is also known as juvenile diabetes as this type of diabetes most commonly develops in the young people, but adults are not safe from the disease also. It occurs due to body’s inability to produce insulin or enough insulin to keep track on blood sugar levels.

Causes of diabetes type 1:

It is called a type an autoimmune disease because the immune system of the body attacks its pancreas and the beta cells of the pancreas. As a result of which the insulin production from the islets of Langerhans is disturbed, and insulin secretion is gradually diminished.

Here, the immune system is the major attacker and destroyer of the cells that make insulin. In some cases, however, genetic predisposition and environmental factors may also trigger the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Characteristic symptoms of type 1 diabetes are:

• Frequent bedwetting in children • Unintended weight loss • Fatigue and weakness • Vaginal yeast infection in female patients • Increased thirst

Management and treatment of type 1 diabetes:

The type-1 diabetes is a problem that should be taken care of as soon as the condition is identified. If not diagnosed soon enough the life threatening condition of ketoacidosis may also occur. Soon after the diagnosis of the problem special self-management of diabetes should be done. The common things that you should take care during treatment are:

1. Taking insulin injection shots 2. Take medicines by mouth on prescriptions 3. Making healthy choices of food items 4. Controlling blood pressures 5. Remaining physically active 6. Controlling the cholesterol levels

2. Type-2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes was earlier also called as adult onset diabetes as it usually affected the middle-aged people, but it can also be seen in young children also. This type of diabetes occurs in the people who are overweight and live an inactive lifestyle.

Causes of type 2 diabetes:

It is caused by the insulin resistance in liver and skeletal muscles. Insulin deficiency and increased blood sugar levels lead to cause this diabetes. Insulin secretion hampers, and gradually the production of insulin by the beta cells is failed.

Characteristic symptoms of type 2 diabetes:

• Unexplained thirst • Frequent urination • Increased hunger • Foot pain • Blurred vision • Fatigue • Weight loss • Darkened skin tone in various areas

Management and treatment of type 2 diabetes:

Diabetes type 2 can be managed very easily if you can manage your eating habits and lifestyle. The diabetes medicines, physical activeness and high blood pressure under control can help in resolving the problem of type 2 diabetes. By making healthy dietary choices and including an active lifestyle to your daily life, can improve diabetes a lot.

Also Read: An Overview of Type 2 Diabetes

3. Gestational diabetes:

It is the third type of diabetes that occurs in pregnant women. It happens when the pregnant women develop an unusually high insulin resistance and do not produce enough insulin. Although, insulin resistance is common in late pregnancies, still when other pregnancy hormones interfere with the insulin production, gestational diabetes can occur. Overweight or obese women can have higher chances of having gestational diabetes.

Mostly gestational diabetes goes away on its own after the childbirth. The children born to the mothers, who had gestational diabetes while carrying them, are at a higher risk of being obese or having type-2 diabetes in future.