Carolyn N. Kinder
There are three types of diabetes. They are Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and gestational Diabetes. First, Type 1 Diabetes also known as juvenile diabetes is an autoimmune disease. In an autoimmune disease, the body's system for fighting infection turns against a part of the body. In diabetes, the immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them. In this case, they produce little or no insulin.
People who have Type 1Diabetes need daily injections or insulin to live. There are no known exact causes of diabetes. Scientists do not know what causes the body's immune system to attack the beta cells. However, it is highly speculated that both genetic factors and viruses are involved. In fact, Type 1 Diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States.
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It is important to denote that Type 1 Diabetes develops itself most often in children and young adults, but it can occur at any age.
Some of the symptoms of diabetes are increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme tiredness. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person can drift off into a life-threatening coma.
Type 2 Diabetes is the most common. Type 2 Diabetes is a non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, but some Type 2 diabetics use insulin. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have Type 2 Diabetes. This type of diabetes most often develops in adults over the age 40 and is most common among adults over age 55. About 80 percent with Type 2 diabetes are overweight.
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In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas usually produces insulin, but the body cannot use the insulin effectively. This means just like Type 1 Diabetes there is an unhealthy buildup of glucose in the blood and an inability of the body to make use of its main source of fuel.
Some symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes are that the disease develops gradually and are not as noticeable as in Type 1 diabetes. Other symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes are feeling tired or ill, frequent urination, mostly at night, unusual thirst, weight loss, blurred vision, frequent infections, and slow healing of scores.
Gestational Diabetes develops or is discovered during pregnancy. When pregnancy is over, this type of diabetes disappears. Women who have gestational diabetes have a greater risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes later in life.