Recognize Two Different Types of Diabetes

Posted on August 22, 2010
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Diabetes is a biological disorder in which a person’s blood sugar (glucose) levels aren’t been regulated as they should be. Glucose is our bodies’ main energy source, and our brain and nervous system rely completely on glucose to function. If your body’s cells do not get the sugar they need to survive, sugar builds up and causes high blood glucose levels, which hurts your eyes, nerves, kidneys and/or heart.

There are two types of diabetes; Type I or Type II that show different symptoms. Blood sugar levels in the body that are elevated is a hallmark of the disease. And insulin production, or rather how it is used, is what differentiates the two types.

• Type I

Type 1 Diabetes used to be known as ‘Juvenile Diabetes’ because of its tendency to strike a person in their childhood up to their early adulthood. It is also sometimes known as ‘Insulin Dependent Diabetes’, as a person with this condition is reliant upon insulin injections to survive.

It is most prevalent in children and young adults between 10 and 17. The initial Type 1 Diabetes symptoms can come on strongly and suddenly, and include: weight loss in spite of increased appetite, an increase in the production of urine caused as the body tries to rid itself of excess glucose in the urine, Unclear vision, feeling weak and tired, and fatigue caused by the inability of the body to convert glucose into energy.

• Type II

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, the problem being that the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells have become resistant to the insulin produced by the pancreas, so even if the pancreas produces enough insulin, it may not work as effectively.

This is the more common form of the ailment. Between the ages of 35-45 is when this will usually show itself. Also, three to five percent of pregnant women will experience gestational diabetes. The hormonal imbalance during pregnancy is the reason for this to occur during the 24th to 28 week of pregnancy.

The prime cause for Type 2 Diabetes isn’t the failure of the pancreas, but more due to obesity and poor diets, lacking exercise standards and a basic misrepresentation of health over years. Diabetes type 2 does not just happen overnight. In most instances, diabetes mellitus type 2 and gestational diabetes are the results of year after year of self-neglect.

Diet alone or by a diet combined with insulin or glucose lowering medication cannot achieve maximum benefits. The treatment regime must include regulated exercise and regular monitoring of the blood glucose levels. Diet and exercise are other considerations that are very important for diabetics to address.

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