Type I and Type II Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease where your body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to give you energy. This causes your blood glucose, or sugar, levels to be too high. Glucose comes from the foods you eat. If you have type I diabetes your pancreas does not produce insulin. If you have type II diabetes, the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, the glucose stays in your blood. Having too much glucose in your blood over an extended period of time can damage your eyes, kidneys and nerves as well as cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to remove a limb.

Type I Diabetes

Type I diabetes happens most often in children and young adults but can appear at any age. It was previously known as juvenile diabetes, and it is though to be mostly an autoimmune disease. People with type I diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to experience a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, high blood pressure, gum disease, nerve damage and blindness. Since blood may not move as well through your legs and feet, type I diabetes could cause you to lose your feet through amputation. If left untreated, type I diabetes could cause you to go into a coma or even kill you. There is good news, though. Proper treatment can help to prevent these complications.

The first step to proper treatment is consistently checking your blood glucose level. Keeping your blood sugar as close to normal as possible helps you feel better and reduces the risk of long-term complications of diabetes. Since people with type I diabetes have a pancreas that no longer makes insulin, they need insulin shots. This enables them to use glucose from meals to give their body energy.

Type II Diabetes

Type II diabetes is the more common type of diabetes. It is often associated with obesity and physical inactivity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, type II diabetes is responsible for nearly 95% of the diabetes cases in the United States. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes may include fatigue, thirst, weight loss, blurred vision and frequent urination. Some people have no symptoms at all. The best way to determine if you have diabetes is by taking a blood test.

People with type II diabetes do have a pancreas that produces insulin, unlike people with type I diabetes. The problem is that the insulin that is produced is either not enough or the body is not able to use it properly. This causes the glucose to bulid up in the blood instead of going into the body’s cells. Exercise, weight control and sticking to your meal plan can help control your diabetes. You should also monitor your glucose level and take medicine if prescribed.