Types of diabetes
In this condition, the body doesn’t get sugar from the blood, which in turn increases the sugar levels.
There are three (main) types of diabetes :
Causes
Type 1 diabetes
People with diabetes present in their genes are at a high risk of developing type diabetes.Sometimes, the body destroys these cells as a defense mechanism by mistake. It can take several months to show any symptoms; that is why the reaction keeps ongoing.
Type 2 diabetes
If you are overweight or obese, then you are at a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
There is no specific age to develop diabetes, and you can even acquire diabetes during childhood. But people ages 45+ are at the highest risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes is more common among American Indians, African Americans, Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, or Asian American.
Just like type 1 diabetes, if you have a bad family history with type 2 diabetes, then you are likely to have the same.
gestational diabetes
Usually, the pancreas produces insulin, but during the time of pregnancy, the placenta also produces hormones, which in turn increases the glucose level in the blood. If the body can not make up enough insulin during late pregnancy, then the blood sugar levels in the body rise, and thus, the person suffers from gestational diabetes.
Being overweight or obese is an important cause. During pregnancy, if the person gains too much weight, then the capacity of their body to produce enough insulin reduces, and they acquire gestational diabetes.
Symptoms
Type 1 diabetes
The most common symptoms are :
- Excessive thirst
- Fatigue
- Hunger
- Sweating
- Nausea or vomiting
- Bedwetting or excessive urination
- Blurred vision
- Increased heart rate
- weight-loss
Type 2 diabetes
Other symptoms of type to diabetes are :
- Excessive hunger
- Weight gain or sometimes weight loss
- Frequent urination
- Unhealed wounds
gestational diabetes
Most of the time, in women, this type of diabetes doesn’t show any symptoms at all. The other symptoms include fetal macrosomia, while some symptoms are common with type 1 and 2 diabetes, such as excessive hunger, excessive thirst, fatigue, or frequent urination.
Diagnosis
Type 1 diabetes
- Fasting Blood sugar test : if > 126 mg/dL (two separate tests)
- Blood test : if > 200 mg/dL
- Hemoglobin : > 6.5 (two separate tests)
Type 2 diabetes
The sugar levels between 5.7 – 6.4 are pre-diabetic.
The A1C test tells about the average blood sugar level in your body for the past 2-3 months.
One hour tolerance test :
During this test, you would be asked to drink a special fluid that would be high in sugar. An hour later, your blood sugar levels would be tested, and if your sugar levels cross a certain limit, then you would be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
Three-hour tolerance test :
You would be provided with another special drink, with a higher amount of sugar. For the next three hours, at every one-hour interval, your sugar levels would be measured. If at least two of your tests indicate high sugar levels, then the normal limit, then your diagnosis would be confirmed.
Treatment
Type 1 diabetes
The following self-care methods are often recommended by the doctors :
- Diabetic diet
- Nutritional counseling
- Carbs count
- Physical exercises
Medications consist of dietary supplements or hormonal drugs such as insulin.
Along with the treatment, it is also necessary to keep an eye on the blood sugar levels.
Type 2 diabetes
If you are suffering from Type 2 diabetes, your doctor would recommend you to perform physical exercises on a daily basis. It is also recommended to quit smoking. Self-care techniques such as weight loss, increasing the intake of dietary fiber, and taking nutritional counseling are proved to be of great help. Medications such as Anti-diabetic drugs, Anticoagulants, insulin, or statin will be of great help.
Gestational diabetes
To some extent, Gestational diabetes can be kept in check by making some changes or modifications in your diet. Alongside this, blood sugar monitoring, exercise, baby monitoring, and a balanced diet should be performed on a daily basis.
Medication is required if the blood sugar levels are way too high. Medications may include anti-diabetic drugs and insulin shots.
Prevention
Before it gets too late, take preventive measures to protect yourself from diabetes. The following are some proven ways :
- Cut down sugar and refined carbs. Consuming a diet rich in refined carbs or sugar increases the blood sugar levels in the blood.
- Quit smoking
- Consuming small portions of food can help you to control the insulin levels in your body.
- Drinking water can help to keep the blood sugar levels in check.
- Consuming food rich in fiber is proven to be beneficial for your health and can help to prevent diabetes.
