The Most Common Types of Diabetes

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Diabetes is a medical health condition that manifests in four different types of diabetes. This is where the body is unable to manufacture or utilize insulin. In other words, it is a disease that compromises on the body’s ability to convert blood sugar into useful energy. Insulin can be described as a hormone used by the body to facilitate the conversion of sugar, starches, and other important food products into useful energy for the body to utilize for its optimal performance.

types of diabetesTypes of Diabetes

There are four major categories in which a diabetic can fall into.

Type 1 diabetes

This is what was previously referred to as juvenile onset diabetes mellitus or Insulin dependent Diabetes Mellitus. It is a condition in which the immune system fights all the insulin producing cells found in the pancreas. This is one of the types of diabetes where a patient needs to take insulin on a daily basis because the body does not manufacture any of its own. The reason for this is because the pancreas have undergone an autoimmune attack hence have been rendered unable to manufacture insulin as required by the body.

Type 2 Diabetes

This is the second common types of diabetes. Otherwise referred to as adult onset diabetes mellitus or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, this is a condition where the patient’s body is able to manufacture insulin, but in unreliable amounts that are inadequate to meet the needs of the body. In most situations, the pancreas tends to over produce insulin, which ultimately leads to insulin resistance because of the developed poor sensitivity to insulin by the body cells.

 Gestational Diabetes

This is a type of diabetes that occurs temporarily in pregnant women, which is attributed to hormonal changes and imbalances in the body during pregnancy. Such changes in the body can lead to an elevation of blood sugar, especially in women who are genetically prone to diabetes. Unlike other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes will resolve on its own immediately after birth. It is however to be mentioned that circa 30-50% of all pregnant women who suffer from this types of diabetes will ultimately develop the type 2 diabetes. The likelihood of developing the type 2 diabetes is very high particularly in ladies who will need insulin in the course of their pregnancy, or those who will remain overweight after childbirth.

Other types of diabetes

Secondary Diabetes

This is a type of diabetes where there is a temporary blood sugar level elevation as a result of an underlying medical condition. This could be as a result of the destruction of the pancreatic tissue by another medical condition in the body such as trauma, chronic pancreatitis, or as a result of a surgical removal of the organs responsible for the manufacture of insulin.

 With that being said, it is to be mentioned that the treatment used on the condition will be determined by the severity and the type of diabetes. For instance, type 1 responds well to exercise, controlled diet, and insulin while type 2 responds well to exercise, a controlled diet, and more importantly weight reduction. When these basic measures to control the different types of diabetes fail, that is when oral medication is used.

 

The Different Diabetes Symptoms

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Diabetes symptoms put a lot of strain on the body, but mostly they are relatively harmless. It is the reason why Diabetic patients are left undiagnosed for a long time. If you feel such intense symptoms on a regular basis, you should consult a medical professional right away.

diabetes symptomsDiabetes Symptoms

Since both types of diabetes are caused by an increase in blood sugar levels, the diabetes symptoms will be similar.  It is either due to less production of insulin or no production, or even insulin resistance that is the cause of diabetes.

If you have Type 1, the diabetes symptoms and causes are given below;

It starts with the pancreas halting their production of insulin, as an autoimmune response or because of a viral infection of the pancreas. Without insulin, your cells lose their supply of glucose so they can produce ATP (Adenosin Triphosphate) units. Consequently, you begin to feel nauseated and often vomit. During later stages, you will experience rapid weight loss, as the body breaks down muscle tissue and fat in order to generate energy for the body to function. Electrolyte imbalance is responsible for dehydration. In extreme cases and after the condition has advanced considerably, patients are prone to coma and death.

Diabetes Symptoms : Type 2

The Diabetes symptoms of Type 2 is more obvious, patients reported a large variety of diabetes symptoms.

  • Increased fatigue: Since your cells cannot metabolize glucose, the reserve fat of your body is metabolized for energy.  When fat is broken down, more energy is absorbed compared to glucose, as a result your body undergoes a negative calorie effect causing fatigue.
  • Increased thirst: It is necessary for your body to decrease the elevated concentration of glucose in your blood, so it sends a signal to your brain for diluting it.  Hence, you feel thirsty.
  • Increased Urine Production: The excess glucose present in your body is excreted with your urine.  Dehydration is a side effect because a large amount of water leaves the water along with the sugar.
  • Increased Hunger:  Your body produces insulin to cope with the high sugar levels in the blood leading to a greater appetite.
  • Weight Fluctuation: Loss of water, excretion of glucose in the urine, metabolism of body fat and protein may cause weight loss. Alternatively, the increase in appetite can lead to weight gain.
  • Irritability: Insufficient glucose supply to the brain and other body organs affects your body and you feel uneasy and tired.
  • Infections: Other Diabetes symptoms can include fungal, bacterial or UTI tract infection as the immune system is suppressed due to fluctuation of the blood sugar.
  • Comprised Healing: The high blood sugar inhibits the proper functioning of white blood cells. Consequently, healing takes place at a slower pace. Additionally, people suffering from diabetes for a protracted period of time will have thickening of the blood vessels. 
  • Dry and Itchy Skin can also be a Diabetes symptom.

 If your body shows any Diabetes symptoms, you have to take action. Diabetes is a condition that can be controlled.