The Types of Diabetes and Their Symptoms

Article by B. Weaver

While discussing diabetes with friends you may feel anxious about it because of the symptoms that are described. You may feel that now or in the future you may come down with type one or type two diabetes. Just what is the risk of developing diabetes if you think you might have some of the symptoms?

Diabetes affects the the way that the body handles carbohydrates, fats and proteins. If the symptoms of diabetes are ignored, diabetes can have serious complications. The diabetic people have high blood sugar level. The blood sugar level is regulated by insulin – a hormone produced by the pancreas, which depends on your eating habits.

Diabetes is a serious disease. But the startling truth is that diabetes is reversible. Diabetes is the number one cause of chronic kidney disease. This disease is a condition where the body is unable to automatically regulate blood glucose levels, resulting in too much glucose in the blood. Diabetes is a disease that affects as many as 16 million Americans and is growing.

The most common symptoms of diabetes are not being able to satisfy your thirst, being tired all the time, being hungry more often and urinating frequently.

On the other hand, there are some other symptoms of diabetes that are factual, such as hair loss, numbness in your fingers or toes, changes in your vision and infections that take a long time to heal especially skin infections.

Diabetes is described as having two distinct types:

Type I Diabetes: The reason for type I diabetes is the inability of the pancreas to produce enough insulin.

Type II Diabetes is a result of the bodies cells becoming resistant to insulin. It is usually hereditary.

Type 2 Diabetes is more common than Type 1 Diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. Conditions associated with type 2 diabetes include hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Up to two-thirds of people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms. Obesity is the single most important risk factor for type 2 diabetes. An estimated 20% of all cases of new onset type 2 diabetes are in individuals between the ages of 9-19. The more you know about type 2 diabetes, the more you’ll be able to take the right steps to take control of your condition.

If ignored, diabetes can lead to various complications such as damage to the kidneys, heart disease, nerve damage, and hypoglycemia. Diabetes is a serious disease and there is no treatment of it. However, it can be brought under control by proper diabetic diet.