What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?
Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes each involve a distinct problem with insulin, which is the hormone responsible for removing excess sugar from your bloodstream.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune disorder that damages your pancreas. As a result, the pancreas can’t produce insulin and blood sugar levels rise. Type 1 diabetes usually appears before early adulthood (which is why it’s sometimes called “juvenile diabetes), but it can develop at any age.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes often appears after the age of 40, but it’s increasingly being diagnosed in teens and young adults. If you have Type 2 diabetes, your pancreas still produces insulin, but two problems develop: The pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin to manage blood sugar and you develop insulin resistance.
What is insulin resistance?
Cells throughout your body need the sugar, or glucose, that’s circulating in your bloodstream. However, glucose can only enter a cell when insulin opens a passageway through the cell wall.
When you have insulin resistance, cells stop responding to insulin so they can’t receive the glucose, the glucose builds up in your blood, and your blood sugar levels skyrocket.
Does diabetes cause health complications?
When your blood sugar stays higher than normal frequently or for a long period of time, it damages small blood vessels and nerves. Over time, this damage can lead to serious health complications, such as:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Vision loss
- Skin infections
- Foot ulcers that don’t heal
Type 2 diabetes doubles your risk of dying from stroke or heart disease.
What symptoms develop due to diabetes?
When you have Type 1 diabetes, your symptoms may appear quickly. By comparison, the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes develop slowly over many years. However, both types cause the same symptoms:
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Blurry vision
- Excessive hunger
- Sores that heal slowly
- Unexplained weight loss
With Type 2 diabetes, you may not show any symptoms until chronic high blood sugar creates a health problem.
How is diabetes managed?
Once you develop diabetes, it’s essential to keep your blood sugar within a normal range. The team develops a customized plan that may include:
- Dietary and exercise changes: essential to stabilize blood sugar
- Medications: patients with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin; those with Type 2 diabetes may need insulin or other medications to lower blood sugar
- Insulin pump management: insulin pumps deliver insulin through a catheter placed under your skin
- Glucose sensor: a sensor inserted under your skin continuously monitors your glucose levels
To receive expert care for diabetes, call Arkangel Endocrinology & Diabetes or book an appointment online.
