Diabetes: What is Type 1 and Type 2?

One of the most important things you can do is take care of your health and your body. If you or someone you know has diabetes, it is also equally important to understand the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Though they are both about the body’s inability to control blood sugar or glucose, there are two different diseases that require different treatments and medical devices and medications.

Insulin regulates blood sugar or glucose and is therefore crucial in the treatment of this disease. The pancreas produces insulin. Insulin opens up the body’s cells to allow blood sugar or glucose in to be converted into energy, so when it doesn’t function properly and the cell’s don’t get the right amount of glucose or at the right time, then blood sugar or glucose levels will elevate causing the body all kinds of issues. Diabetes has been linked to kidney failure, blindness, foot and leg amputations, heart disease and stroke among other medical problems. If you are suspecting you are diabetic, your doctor will need to carry out specific tests to determine exactly which type of diabetes you have. Broken down into the two different types, diabetes can generally be classified as the following: Type 1: Is the total absence of insulin or too little insulin caused by the body destroying cells that release insulin and like noted above without insulin cells can not convert blood sugars/glucose into energy. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Low blood sugar is defined as hypoglycemia. This type of diabetes can start as early as childhood or in young adulthood. There are no prevention measures to avoid getting Type 1 diabetes. Patients with Type 1 diabetes might have higher than normal ketone levels. Treatment will typically involve insulin injections.

Type 2: Too much insulin is produced by the body or the body doesn’t effectively use the insulin it does produces. This condition is known as insulin resistance. You may not experience any symptoms and not realize you have type 2 diabetes until diagnosed by your doctor. There are generally not any episodes of low blood sugar unless associated with taking insulin or certain diabetes medications. Type 2 diabetes can develop at any age. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat right, and get routine exercise, Type 2 diabetes can sometimes be prevented or at least pushed out to later in life. Type 2 diabetes is more common than Type 1, occurring at a rate of 90-95% and is usually seen in patients that tend to be overweight. Type 2 diabetes can be linked with high cholesterol and/or high blood pressure too. The above characteristics between the two types are general and should not be used solely for self-diagnosis. If you are suspecting you are diabetic, your doctor will need to carry out specific tests to determine exactly which type of diabetes you have.

If you are diagnosed by a doctor with either type of diabetes you will want to keep up with your medical supplies that you will need to help monitor and control the disease. Some but not all of the items you might likely need would be: • Blood sugar testing strips • Blood sugar testing monitors • Insulin • Lancet devices and lancets • Glucose control solutions • Therapeutic shoes or inserts • Sharps disposal • Urinalysis kits • Diabetic kits • Diabetic socks • Diabetic medical ID bracelets and necklaces • Prescription drugs