Diabetes

What are the different types of diabetes?

Your body requires insulin to monitor your blood sugar and process food. Diabetes is a disease wherein your body is no longer able to either produce or use the insulin that it produces, causing unhealthy levels of blood sugar. 

It’s divided into two types, Type 1 and Type 2, though gestational diabetes has also been diagnosed in pregnant women.

Type 1 diabetes

If you have Type 1 diabetes, it means that your body isn’t making enough insulin — or none at all — because your immune system has attacked your pancreas (where insulin is produced). Type 1 diabetes typically affects children and young adults, though not exclusively.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It occurs when your body is resistant to insulin and isn’t correctly using it to move sugar into your cells. It affects humans of all ages, though it more frequently affects middle-aged and older people.

Gestational diabetes

Pregnant women can also have diabetes. It typically goes away after the pregnancy, though women diagnosed with it during their pregnancy are more likely to contract Type 2 diabetes later in life.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Some of the most common symptoms of diabetes include:

• Excessive thirst
• Changes in vision
• Bladder issues
• Weight loss
• Hunger
• Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
• Fatigue
• Dry skin
• Slow-healing sores

The combination of diabetes symptoms you experience will differ according to the type from which you suffer. 

What are the risks of diabetes?

Diabetes can lead to unwanted health outcomes, such as:

• Kidney, dental, and heart disease
• Stroke
• Nerve damage
• Vision complications.

How is diabetes treated?

The team at Mariposa Medical Associates provides two types of treatments for diabetes.

You can control Type 1 diabetes with regular insulin injections or by wearing an insulin pump, which pumps insulin into your body throughout the day.

A healthy diet, regular exercise, and medication are common treatments for Type 2 diabetes. The team at Mariposa Medical Associates works with you to develop a regimen that will keep your blood sugar levels stable and keep you healthy.

Diabetes is no minor illness. If you’d like to learn more about the disease and the different treatment options available to you, call Mariposa Medical Associates or request an appointment online today.