Diabetes types
Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a
metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar. The hormone insulin moves sugar
from the blood into your cells to be stored or used for energy. With diabetes,
your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t effectively use the
insulin it does make.
Untreated high blood sugar from diabetes can damage your
nerves, eyes, kidneys, and other organs.
There are a few different types of diabetes:
- Type 1 diabetes is
an autoimmune disease. The immune system attacks and destroys cells
in the pancreas, where insulin is made. It’s unclear what causes this
attack. About 10 percent of people with diabetes have this type.
- Type 2 diabetes occurs
when your body becomes resistant to insulin, and sugar builds up in
your blood.
- Prediabetes occurs when
your blood sugar is higher than normal, but it’s not high enough for a
diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
- Gestational diabetes is
high blood sugar during pregnancy. Insulin-blocking hormones produced by
the placenta cause this type of diabetes.
A rare condition called diabetes insipidus is not
related to diabetes mellitus, although it has a similar name. It’s a different
condition in which your kidneys remove too much fluid from your body.
Diabetes symptoms are caused by rising blood sugar.
General symptoms
The general symptoms of diabetes include:
- increased hunger
- increased thirst
- weight loss
- frequent urination
- blurry vision
- extreme fatigue
- sores that don’t heal
Symptoms in men
In addition to the general symptoms of diabetes, men
with diabetes may have a decreased sex drive, erectile
dysfunction (ED), and poor muscle strength.
Symptoms in women
Women with diabetes can also have symptoms such
as urinary tract infections, yeast infections, and dry, itchy skin.
Type 1 diabetes
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can include:
- extreme hunger
- increased thirst
- unintentional weight loss
- frequent urination
- blurry vision
- tiredness
It may also result in mood changes.
Type 2 diabetes
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes can include:
- increased hunger
- increased thirst
- increased urination
- blurry vision
- tiredness
- sores that are slow to heal
It may also cause recurring infections. This is because
elevated glucose levels make it harder for the body to heal.
Gestational diabetes
Most women with gestational diabetes don’t have any
symptoms. The condition is often detected during a routine blood sugar test or
oral glucose tolerance test that is usually performed between the 24th and 28th
weeks of gestation.
In rare cases, a woman with gestational diabetes will also
experience increased thirst or urination.
Causes of diabetes
Different causes are associated with each type of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes type 1 diabetes. For
some reason, the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys
insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Genes may play a role in some people. It’s also possible
that a virus sets off the immune system attack.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes stems from a combination
of genetics and lifestyle factors. Being overweight
or obese increases your risk too. Carrying extra weight,
especially in your belly, makes your cells more resistant to the effects
of insulin on your blood sugar.
This condition runs in families. Family members share genes
that make them more likely to get type 2 diabetes and to be overweight.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is the result of hormonal changes
during pregnancy. The placenta produces hormones that make a pregnant woman’s
cells less sensitive to the effects of insulin. This can cause high blood sugar
during pregnancy.
Women who are overweight when they get pregnant or
who gain too much weight during their pregnancy are more likely to
get gestational diabetes.
Certain factors increase your risk for diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes
You’re more likely to get type 1 diabetes if you’re a child
or teenager, you have a parent or sibling with the condition, or you
carry certain genes that are linked to the disease.
Type 2 diabetes
Your risk for type 2 diabetes increases if you:
- are overweight
- are age 40 or older
- have a parent or sibling with
the condition
- aren’t physically active
- have had gestational diabetes
- have prediabetes
- have high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, or high triglycerides
- have African American, Hispanic
or Latino American, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, American Indian, or
Asian American ancestry
Gestational diabetes
Your risk for gestational diabetes increases if you:
- are overweight
- are over age 25
- had gestational diabetes during
a past pregnancy
- have given birth to a baby
weighing more than 9 pounds
- have a family history of type 2
diabetes
- have polycystic ovary
syndrome (PCOS)
Complications associated with diabetes include:
- heart disease, heart
attack, and stroke
- neuropathy
- nephropathy
- retinopathy and vision
loss
- hearing loss
- foot damage such as
infections and sores that don’t heal
- skin conditions such
as bacterial and fungal infections
- depression
- dementia
Gestational diabetes: Uncontrolled gestational diabetes can lead to problems that
affect both the mother and baby. Complications affecting the baby can include: premature birth, higher-than-normal weight at birth, increased
risk for type 2 diabetes later in life, low blood sugar, jaundice, stillbirth. The mother can develop complications
such as high blood pressure (preeclampsia) or type 2 diabetes. She may also
require cesarean delivery, commonly referred to as a C-section. The mother’s risk of gestational diabetes
in future pregnancies also increases.
Healthy eating is a central part of managing diabetes. In some cases, changing your diet and balancing it up with recommended Natural nutritional supplements may be enough to control the disease.
Type 2 diabetes
Eating the right types of foods can both control your blood
sugar and help you lose any excess weight.
Carb counting is an important part of eating for type 2
diabetes. A dietitian can help you figure out how many grams of carbohydrates to
eat at each meal.
In order to keep your blood sugar levels steady, try to eat
small meals throughout the day. Emphasize healthy foods such as: fruits, vegetables,
whole grains,
lean protein such as poultry and fish, healthy fats such
as olive oil and nuts,
Anyone who has symptoms of diabetes or is at risk for the
disease should be tested. Women should routinely test for gestational diabetes
during their second or third trimesters of pregnancy.
Doctors use these blood tests to diagnose
prediabetes and diabetes:
Diabetes prevention
Type 1 diabetes isn’t preventable because it’s caused by a
problem with the immune system. Some causes of type 2 diabetes, such as your
genes or age, aren’t under your control either.
Yet many other diabetes risk factors are controllable. Most
diabetes prevention strategies involve making simple adjustments to your diet,
take nutritional supplements to cover for any nutritional deficiency, then add
fitness routine.
If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes, here are a few
things you can do to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes:
- Get at least 150 minutes per
week of aerobic exercise, such as walking or cycling.
- Cut saturated and trans fats,
along with refined carbohydrates, out of your diet.
- Eat more fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains.
- Eat smaller portions.
- Try to lose 7 percent of your body weight if you’re overweight or obese.
