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Type 1
Over a million Americans have Type 1 diabetes, and someone is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes every hour. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body's system for fighting infection (the immune system) turns against a part of the body. In diabetes, the immune system attacks the insulin- producing beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin. Someone with type 1 diabetes needs to take insulin daily to live.
At present, scientists do not know exactly what causes the body's immune system to attack the beta cells, but they believe that both genetic factors and environmental factors, possibly viruses, are involved. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States.
Type 1 diabetes develops most often in children and young adults, but the disorder can appear at any age. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop over a short period, although beta cell destruction can begin years earlier.
Symptoms include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person can lapse into a life-threatening diabetic coma, also known as diabetic ketoacidosis.
The symptoms of type 1 Diabetes almost always come on suddenly. They include:
- Increased thirst
- Increased passing of urine
- Increased hunger
- Sudden weight loss
- Feeling very tired
These are also the symptoms you may have if your diabetes is out of control. If you feel that you may have diabetes please contact your physician to get a proper diagnosis.
Type 2
Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes. At least 90% (9 of 10) of people with diabetes have type 2. Type 2 diabetes is more likely to occur in people who:
- Are over 40 years of age
- Are overweight
- Have a family history of diabetes
- Have had diabetes during a pregnancy
- Have had a baby weighing over 9 pounds
- Have the stress of an illness or injury
- Have high blood pressure
- Are African American
- Are Hispanic American
- Are Native American
When type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin, but, for unknown reasons, the body cannot use the insulin effectively, a condition called insulin resistance. After several years, insulin production decreases. The result is the same as for type 1 diabetes--glucose builds up in the blood and the body cannot make efficient use of its main source of fuel.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. They are not as sudden in onset as in type 1 diabetes. Some people have no symptoms. Symptoms may include fatigue or nausea, frequent urination, unusual thirst, weight loss, blurred vision, frequent infections, and slow healing of wounds or sores.
Any member of your immediate family (mother, father, sister, brother, children) who has three or more of these risk factors should be tested for diabetes. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be easy to overlook. They may include:
- Feeling tired
- Frequent infections; slow-healing cuts or sores
- Blurred eyesight
- Problems with sexual function
- Dry, itchy skin; numbness or tingling in hands or feet
- Increased hunger
- Increased thirst and frequent passing of urine
These are also the symptoms you may have if your diabetes is out of control. If you feel that you may have diabetes please contact your physician to get a proper diagnosis.
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When food is digested, the sugar in the food enters the blood. The sugar in the blood must enter body cells before it can be used to make energy. When there is enough insulin in the blood and on the outside of the cell, it acts like a key. Sugar enters the cell through the sugar entrances and the level of sugar in the blood drops. 