| SolveYourProblem
Article Series: Diabetes
Diabetes Causes, Symptoms & Treatments
What
Is The Difference Between Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes?
What is the difference between type 1 and
type 2 diabetes? There are many ways of explaining this depending
on how you look at it. There are differences in the causes,
physical factors and treatment.
Have you been diagnosed with diabetes: YES / NO ?
If yes, which type of diabetes: ____________________.
1. Causes
Diabetes mellitus of either type 1 or type 2 is a condition
where the body either does not produce enough insulin to regulate
blood sugar levels, or does not respond adequately to insulin,
or both. If it is not treated, this causes an excess of sugar
or glucose in the blood, leading to complications. Eventually,
if severe and left untreated, it would cause death.
In type 1, the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin
are lost, so the body simply cannot produce the amount of insulin
that a normal person needs. Often the cells are destroyed by
an autoimmune attack, probably as the result of a virus. People
who develop type 1 tend to be otherwise generally healthy and
of normal weight.
In type 2, the cause is usually a combination of reduced insulin
production and the body becoming insulin resistant so it does
not effectively use the insulin that it has. This is often
associated with middle or old age, hypertension, and/or being
significantly overweight.
In both cases, heredity also plays a part. Some people seem
to be genetically disposed to develop diabetes. Type 1 diabetes
comes on without warning and prevention may not be possible,
although some studies suggest that vitamins D and B3 may play
a part.
Type 2 is usually preceded a period of pre-diabetes where
symptoms are not so severe. If you have type 2 diabetes in
the family, you are over 40 and either you have high blood
pressure or you are overweight, you should have your blood
sugar tested from time to time. If symptoms are caught early
you may be able to avoid developing full diabetes.
Have you and your doctor determined the cause: ____________________.
2. Age of onset
Type 1 is often called juvenile diabetes because it often
begins in children and adolescents and usually comes on quite
suddenly without warning. Type 2 more often develops later
in life and can be preceded by a long period of pre-diabetes
where symptoms exist but not to the point where diabetes would
be diagnosed.
It is possible for children to develop type 2 and also for
adults to develop type 1, so this is not a true difference
between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, the fact remains
that most diabetic children have type 1, even though type 1
accounts for only 10% of the diabetic population.
When did your diabetes onset: ____________________.
3. Treatment
Type 1 diabetes is usually treated with insulin injections.
Patients are likely to have to inject insulin for the rest
of their lives unless they have a pancreas transplant.
Type 2 diabetes can often be controlled with a combination
of dietary modifications and oral medication. In some cases,
diet alone is enough to manage it. In others, insulin injections
become necessary at some point. However, type 2 is generally
easier to manage because the body is still producing some insulin
in most cases.
All diabetics need to monitor their blood sugar and try to
follow certain dietary guidelines to avoid blood glucose spikes.
What treatment methods ahve you and your doctor decided on: ____________________.
4. Psychological factors
Generally speaking, people with type 1 diabetes feel that
they have a very different condition and often like to make
this clear. Because of the differences in causes, particularly
the fact that weight plays a part in type 2 but not type 1,
there can be a perception that type 2 is avoidable and therefore
to some extent the fault of the sufferer, while type 1 is not
seen that way. Although this is only a perception and not a
true difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, it is important
to be sensitive to these feelings when dealing with diabetics
of either type.
Have you consided an online forum or support group for helping you live with diabetes: YES / NO ?
Click
here to learn more about how you can reverse
your diabetes and have a perfect blood sugar level without
drugs or medication. Don't get caught in the diabetes trap.
It's my SolveYourProblem recommendation.
# # # # #
# # # # #
by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2009
> Home > Diabetes
Articles : Main Page
|
I'm young yet old-fashioned. Hip but eccentric. And... I've gone retro. Social media has gone completely berzerk, so I've started over and am keeping it simple. If you have a problem to solve, 
