Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that can strike unexpectedly and may be brought on by unknown reasons or it can be passed down through generations. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that is mostly preventable, with weight and inactivity being major risk factors. You can be diagnosed with either condition at any age.
What are the symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus?
Diabetes type 1 and type 2 symptoms include the following if left untreated:
- Experiencing frequent urination
- Extreme thirst and drinking
- Intense hunger
- Extreme exhaustion
- Blurred eyesight
- Improperly healing cuts or sores
- Extremely dry skin
- Increased frequency of infections
- Irritation, mood swings, and inadvertent weight loss
What causes Type 1 Diabetes?
The body’s immune system is responsible for preventing outside influences such as harmful bacteria and viruses. The autoimmune response is thought to be the root cause of type 1 diabetes. The immune system misinterprets the body’s healthy cells for foreign invaders in individuals with type 1 diabetes. The immune system attacks and destroys the pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. The loss of these beta cells prevents the body from making insulin.
Why the immune system occasionally targets the body’s cells is a mystery to researchers. Genetic and environmental variables, including viral exposure, might have a role. Autoimmune illness research is continuing strong. Type 1 diabetes is not brought on by dietary or lifestyle choices.
What causes Type 2 Diabetes?
Insulin resistance is found in those with type 2 diabetes. Although it can no longer use insulin efficiently, the body continues to make it. Although the exact causes of insulin resistance in certain individuals remain unknown, several lifestyle variables, such as obesity and inactivity, may play a role.
There may be additional genetic and environmental influences at work. Your pancreas will attempt to compensate by generating more insulin if you develop type 2 diabetes. Your body can’t use insulin as it should, so glucose builds up in your blood.
How does diabetes affect the body?
Diabetes comes in two primary forms: type 1 and type 2.
Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how well your body uses glucose, or blood sugar, to function. The fuel that powers your body’s cells is glucose, but for glucose to get inside your cells, it needs a key. The secret is insulin. Individuals who have type 1 diabetes are insulin-insensitive. It can be compared to not having a key.
Individuals with type 2 diabetes frequently don’t produce enough insulin later in the disease and don’t react to insulin as well as they should. Consider it as though you have a broken key. High blood sugar levels that persist over time can result from either form of diabetes. This raises the possibility of complications from diabetes.
What are the risk factors of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus?
The risk factors for type 1 diabetes appear to be less in number, primarily because the cause of type 1 diabetes is still undergoing extensive research. Type 2 diabetes, however, has definitive risk factors.
You might be at risk for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus if:
- Family history: Individuals who have a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes are more likely to get the disease themselves.
- Age: Although type 1 diabetes can strike anyone at any age, it most commonly affects children and teenagers.
You might be at risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus if:
- Possess prediabetes or slightly increased blood sugar
- Are obese or overweight
- Have a lot of belly fat
- Engage in less than three times a week of physical activity
- Are older than 45 have ever experienced gestational diabetes, or diabetes during pregnancy
- Have given birth to a child who weighed more than nine pounds
- Are Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic, or Latino as a result of systemic injustices that contribute to health inequalities
- Possess type 2 diabetes in a close relative or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
How are Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes treated?
Type 1 diabetes does not have a treatment yet. Since insulin is not produced by people with type 1 diabetes, it must be taken consistently and blood sugar levels must be monitored regularly.
Some people receive injections multiple times a day into soft tissues like their buttocks, arms, or stomach. Insulin pumps are used by others. Insulin pumps use a tiny tube to deliver a constant dose of insulin into the body. Since blood sugar levels can fluctuate rapidly, testing is a crucial component of managing type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes can be controlled and even prevented with proper nutrition and exercise, but many individuals require additional assistance. If altering your lifestyle is insufficient, your doctor might recommend drugs that improve the way your body uses insulin.
Another crucial component of managing type 2 diabetes is blood sugar monitoring. There’s no other method to determine if you’re hitting your goals. Your physician might advise more regular or infrequent blood sugar checks. Your doctor can advise insulin injections if your blood sugar is too high.
Diabetes mellitus, whether type 1 or type 2, causes an accumulation of excess glucose in the blood, either due to resistance to the hormone that helps utilize glucose (insulin) or due to insufficient production of insulin. The understanding of the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is essential, as the treatment of the illness and possible steps for prevention will depend on the same. They have different risk factors, and they also have different causes, making the method of treatment significantly distinct.
