Types of Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a group of diseases in which the body is not able to produce enough amounts of insulin or use it for converting the glucose or sugar present in the blood to energy. The energy is used for the actions performed by the body. The problem faced by diabetic patients is that their body is not able to generate enough energy due to the above-mentioned problem. In addition, that leads to the development of high sugar levels in the blood.

Types of diabetes

There are 3 different types of diabetes that the people may have:

1- Type 1 diabetes- This type of diabetes is believed to be an autoimmune condition in the patients which occurs in the pancreas. The problem here is that the immune cells present in your body mistakenly attack and destroy the beta cells produced in the pancreas that produce insulin. The damage done here is permanent and so insulin is not produced any more, which leads to several health problems. The reason why these attacks occur is yet not clear. Here, the lifestyle factors do not play any role. A number of medical risks occur due to type 1 diabetes. Some of them are as damage is caused to the blood vessels in your eyes, kidneys, and nerves. The serious diseases are heart diseases and strokes. The treatment for type 1 diabetes is considered entering insulin in the body manually. Moreover, there are several methods to insert insulin into the body. People having type 1 diabetes can live long and healthy lives if they do careful management of glucose and follow a good treatment plan.

2- Type 2 diabetes- This type of diabetes is caused by insulin resistance because the body is not able to use the insulin produced by the pancreas effectively. This leads to more and more production of insulin in the body until the pancreas cannot keep up with the demand. In addition, after that insulin production decreases, it leads to high quantities of glucose or sugar in the blood. Type 2 diabetes can occur in patients due to several factors. These can be genetics, lack of physical exercise by the person, and being overweight. It is considered the most common form of diabetes and it accounts for about 95% of cases in adults. Nowadays, teenagers are also developing this kind of diabetes due to obesity and overweight kids. It was also called non-insulin dependent diabetes. It is a milder form of diabetes as compared to type 1. Still, it can cause major health problems in the people and it mainly increases the chances of cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks or strokes. There is not enough insulin in the body to keep the sugar levels normal. Diabetes Type 2 can be cured by weight management classes and by following the proper diets that are proper nutrition and exercise. Medications can also help Type 2 Diabetes. An A1C test, which should be conducted, estimates average glucose levels in the blood over three months. A1C testing may be advised to people suffering from type 2 diabetes.

3- Gestational diabetes can occur during pregnancy due to insulin resistance in the body. Gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed during the middle or late stages of pregnancy and must be controlled in order to protect the body’s growth and development. Gestational Diabetes occurs in about 2 to 10% of pregnancies in the world and usually resolves itself after pregnancy. The risks to the unborn baby are greater than the risk to the mother. The symptoms to the baby can include abnormal weight gain, breathing problems at birth, and a higher risk of obesity. The risks to mother include damage to the heart, eyes, and nerves. The treatment includes daily exercise, controlling weight gain, careful meal planning and taking insulin tablets if needed.