Diabetes, a metabolic disease causes your blood glucose or blood sugar level higher. The food that you usually eat supplies glucose to your body. Insulin is the hormone which helps the glucose to get into your body cells and in turn, it produces the energy level. Diabetes is caused when your body is no longer able to make or supply insulin properly.
According to the research of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approx 29.1 million Americans are suffering from diabetes. However, the untreated high blood sugar level can affect your kidneys, nerves and other organs and lead it towards damage.
Different types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes:
This autoimmune disease destroys the pancreas cells where the hormone insulin is made. The cause of this attack is still unknown to the researchers. And it is reported that almost 10% of people are suffering from this Type 1 diabetes. This type of diabetes is also known as “juvenile” as it is often diagnosed in children and young adults.
It destroys the healthy tissues of your body and gives birth to certain illness that encourages some infections like measles, flu, and mumps. This life-long disease comes up with a No Cure signal.
Doctors suggest daily insulin injections to treat this Type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes:
On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes is caused when the person’s body is not anymore producing and using insulin efficiently. The body resists the sugar build-ups and leads you towards this second type of diabetes. The report says that an estimated 26 million Americans adults are suffering from this Type 2. According to the doctors, approx 3.7% of adults between 20-40 age are suffering from this disease.
It used to be known as adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes. Nevertheless, it causes major complications to your health. Particularly, it affects the smallest blood vessels that nourish nerves, kidneys and eyes. Also, Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of stroke and heart disease.
Type 2 diabetes gives the symptoms of a progressive disease that may get worse as the time progresses. Doctors prescribe higher doses of medications along with insulin injection as the remedy of this disease.
What are the Symptoms?
Though Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are said to have similar symptoms, people with Type 1 experience these symptoms sooner than the Type 2 diabetes patients. The symptoms of Type 2 sufferers are milder than the Type 1 people and that’s why the Type 2 diabetes often goes unnoticed.
Let’s check the common symptoms of diabetes:
- Frequent Urination
- Feeling very thirsty
- Feeling very hungry – even if you have consumed enough food
- Blurry Vision
- Bruises or cuts takes excessive time to heal
- Extreme fatigue
- Tingling, pain or numbness in feet or hands (type 2)
- Losing maximum weight – even if you are eating more (type 1)
- Dry itchy skin
Gender Differences
Symptoms in men:
Men with diabetes are often seen to have a decreased interest in sex drive. The erectile dysfunction is also noticed and they start developing poor muscle strength as well.
Symptoms in women:
Women face urinary tract infections, dry and itchy skin, as well as yeast infection, start developing.
Low blood sugar with Type 1 diabetes:
The symptoms of hypoglycaemia take place in your body if you are suffering from Type 1 diabetes. A sudden drop in the blood sugar level is noticed if the patient is consuming more insulin than required. An unhealthy lifestyle can cause low blood sugar levels in patients with Type 1 diabetes.
The symptoms of hypoglycaemia are noticed when the blood sugar level goes below 70 mg/dL. Symptoms like – nervousness, headaches, irritability, hunger, rapid heartbeat (palpitations), sweating, weakness, shaking, and nausea are found in the patient’s body.
Risk associated with Type 1 diabetes:
Doctors are not sure about the cause of Type 1 diabetes but they suspect it to be a hereditary component. The tendency of developing autoimmune disorder may transfer from one family member to another. In the case of children born to fathers with Type 1 diabetes may develop this symptom.
Chromosome 6 – the threadlike structure is said to be the central part of a cell. In this place, the genetic information is usually held in the form of genes. The genetic connection takes place in chromosome 6 for the Type 1 diabetes. It takes the form of an HLA i.e. human leukocyte antigen. This gene complex, therefore, produces certain proteins which are considered to be responsible for the regulation of one’s immune system. However, having one or more HLA doesn’t always develop type 1 diabetes.
Risk associated with Type 2 diabetes:
Some people think that gaining excessive weight increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. But some other factors cause Type 2 diabetes and moreover, not all people with this type of diabetes are suffering from overweight issues.
A checklist offered by The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for type 2 diabetes patients includes:
- Patients age 45 years or older
- Obese or overweight
- Patient’s family background (if anyone has diabetes)
- Patient’s origin: African American, American Indian, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American, Alaska Native or Pacific Islander
- Higher than normal blood glucose
- Blood pressure level ( higher/normal)
- If the patient has a high cholesterol level
- Are not very physically active
- Suffering from depression
- Any problems with heart, brain or legs
How to prevent Type 1 diabetes?
A person suffering from Type 1 diabetes cannot easily prevent the disease as several risk factors associated with it will remain unchanged. However, one must prevent the pancreas to get injured. The pancreas injuries are often caused by car accidents and if such things ever happen, then take immediate medical assistance from the doctors. On the other hand, avoiding alcoholic drinks and fatty foods can help one preventing acute pancreatitis.
How to prevent Type 2 diabetes?
Choosing perfect diet food will help a patient to lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Also, a person should increase the level of physical activity say at least 30mins of activity regularly. The changes, of course, won’t come overnight. So, set your goals and start slowly to prevent these acute diabetic issues.
Tracy Everhart
Tracy Everhart is the Editor for Drug Law Journal. A highly-trained and certified medical professional, Tracy is also an accomplished medical writer. After spending years on the front lines of the medical profession, Tracy now devotes her expertise and skills to researching and reporting on new drugs and devices that enter the market, as well as their side-effects and the real-life stories involved. Prior to joining Drug Law Journal, Tracy wrote for benchmark online healthcare resources focused on families and, in particular, women’s health issues. Tracy holds post-graduate degrees from both the American College of Healthcare Sciences and the Yale School of Nursing. She is also a graduate of both Hampshire College, where she studied microbiology and the University of South Carolina school of nursing.