Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar. The hormone insulin moves sugar from the blood into your cells to be stored or used for energy. With diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin it does make.
Untreated high blood sugar from diabetes can damage your nerves, eyes, kidneys, and other organs.
There are a few different types of diabetes:
1.) Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. The immune system attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas, where insulin is made. It’s unclear what causes this attack. About 10 percent of people with diabetes have this type.
2.) Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body becomes resistant to insulin, and sugar builds up in your blood.
Prediabetes occurs when your blood sugar is higher than normal, but it’s not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
3.) Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar during pregnancy. Insulin-blocking hormones produced by the placenta cause this type of diabetes.
4.) A rare condition called diabetes insipidus is not related to diabetes mellitus, although it has a similar name. It’s a different condition in which your kidneys remove too much fluid from your body.
Each type of diabetes has unique symptoms, causes, and treatments.
Keep reading to learn more about how these types differ from one another.
Symptoms of diabetes
Diabetes symptoms are caused by rising blood sugar.
General symptoms
The general symptoms of diabetes include:
Increased hunger
Increased thirst
Weight loss
Frequent urination
Blurry vision
Extreme fatigue
Sores that don’t heal
Symptoms in men
In addition to the general symptoms of diabetes, men with diabetes may have a decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction (ED), and poor muscle strength.
Symptoms in women
Women with diabetes can also have symptoms such as urinary tract infections, yeast infections, and dry, itchy skin.
Type 1 diabetes
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can include:
Extreme hunger
Increased thirst
Unintentional weight loss
Frequent urination
Blurry vision
Tiredness
It may also result in mood changes.
Type 2 diabetes
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes can include:
Increased hunger
Increased thirst
Increased urination
Blurry vision
Tiredness
Sores that is slow to heal
It may also cause recurring infections. This is because elevated glucose levels make it harder for the body to heal.
Gestational diabetes
Most women with gestational diabetes don’t have any symptoms. The condition is often detected during a routine blood sugar test or oral glucose tolerance test that is usually performed between the 24th and 28th weeks of gestation.
In rare cases, a woman with gestational diabetes will also experience increased thirst or urination.
The bottom line
Diabetes symptoms can be so mild that they’re hard to spot at first.
Causes of diabetes
Different causes are associated with each type of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes type 1 diabetes. For some reason, the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Genes may play a role in some people. It’s also possible that a virus sets off the immune system attack.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes stems from a combination of genetics and lifestyle factors. Being overweight or obese increases your risk too. Carrying extra weight, especially in your belly, makes your cells more resistant to the effects of insulin on your blood sugar.
This condition runs in families. Family members share genes that make them more likely to get type 2 diabetes and to be overweight.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is the result of hormonal changes during pregnancy. The placenta produces hormones that make a pregnant woman’s cells less sensitive to the effects of insulin. This can cause high blood sugar during pregnancy.
Women who are overweight when they get pregnant or who gain too much weight during their pregnancy is more likely to get gestational diabetes.
The bottom line
Both genes and environmental factors play a role in triggering diabetes.
Diabetes risk factors
Certain factors increase your risk for diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes
You’re more likely to get type 1 diabetes if you’re a child or teenager, you have a parent or sibling with the condition, or you carry certain genes that are linked to the disease.
Type 2 diabetes
Your risk for type 2 diabetes increases if you:
Are overweight
You age 45 or older
Have a parent or sibling with the condition
Aren’t physically active
Have had gestational diabetes
Have pre-diabetes
Have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high triglycerides
Gestational diabetes
Your risk for gestational diabetes increases if you:
Are overweight
Are over age 25
Had gestational diabetes during a past pregnancy
Have given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
Have a family history of type 2 diabetes
Have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
The bottom line
Your family, environment, and preexisting medical conditions can all affect your odds of developing diabetes.
Diabetes complications
High blood sugar damages organs and tissues throughout your body. The higher your blood sugar is and the longer you live with it, the greater your risk for complications.
Complications associated with diabetes include:
Heart disease, heart attack, and stroke
Neuropathy
Nephropathy
Retinopathy and vision loss
Hearing loss
Foot damage such as infections and sores that don’t heal
Skin conditions such as bacterial and fungal infections
Depression
Dementia
Gestational diabetes
Uncontrolled gestational diabetes can lead to problems that affect both the mother and baby. Complications affecting the baby can include:
Premature birth
Higher-than-normal weight at birth
Increased risk for type 2 diabetes later in life
Low blood sugar
Jaundice
Stillbirth
The mother can develop complications such as high blood pressure (preeclampsia) or type 2 diabetes. She may also require cesarean delivery, commonly referred to as a C-section.
The mother’s risk of gestational diabetes in future pregnancies also increases.
Diabetes diagnosis
Anyone who has symptoms of diabetes or is at risk for the disease should be tested. Women are routinely tested for gestational diabetes during their second or third trimesters of pregnancy.
Doctors use these blood tests to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes:
The fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test measures your blood sugar after you’ve fasted for 8 hours.
The A1C test provides a snapshot of your blood sugar levels over the previous 3 months.
To diagnose gestational diabetes, your doctor will test your blood sugar levels between the 24th and 28th weeks of your pregnancy.
During the glucose challenge test, your blood sugar is checked an hour after you drink a sugary liquid.
During the 3 hour glucose tolerance test, your blood sugar is checked after you fast overnight and then drinks a sugary liquid.
The earlier you get diagnosed with diabetes, the sooner you can start treatment.
Diabetes prevention
Type 1 diabetes isn’t preventable because it’s caused by a problem with the immune system.
Some causes of type 2 diabetes, such as your genes or age, aren’t under your control either.
Yet many other diabetes risk factors are controllable. Most diabetes prevention strategies involve making simple adjustments to your diet and fitness routine.
Diabetes in pregnancy
Women who’ve never had diabetes can suddenly develop gestational diabetes in pregnancy. Hormones produced by the placenta can make your body more resistant to the effects of insulin.
Some women who had diabetes before they conceived carry it with them into pregnancy. This is called pre-gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes should go away after you deliver, but it does significantly increase your risk for getting diabetes later.
About half of women with gestational diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years of delivery, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
Having diabetes during your pregnancy can also lead to complications for your newborn, such as jaundice or breathing problems.
If you’re diagnosed with pre-gestational or gestational diabetes, you’ll need special monitoring to prevent complications.
Diabetes in children
Children can get both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Controlling blood sugar is especially important in young people, because the disease can damage important organs such as the heart and kidneys.
Type 1 diabetes
The autoimmune form of diabetes often starts in childhood. One of the main symptoms is increased urination. Kids with type 1 diabetes may start wetting the bed after they’ve been toilet trained.
Extreme thirst, fatigue, and hunger are also signs of the condition. It’s important that children with type 1 diabetes get treated right away. The disease can cause high blood sugar and dehydration, which can be medical emergencies.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes used to be called “juvenile diabetes” because type 2 was so rare in children. Now that more children are overweight or obese, type 2 diabetes is becoming more common in this age group.
Untreated type 2 diabetes can cause lifelong complications, including heart disease, kidney disease, and blindness. Healthy eating and exercise can help your child manage their blood sugar and prevent these problems.
Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent than ever in young people.
There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.
Both types of diabetes are chronic diseases that affect the way your body regulates blood sugar, or glucose. Glucose is the fuel that feeds your body’s cells, but to enter your cells it needs a key. Insulin is that key.
People with type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin. You can think of it as not having a key.
People with type 2 diabetes don’t respond to insulin as well as they should and later in the disease often don’t make enough insulin.
Both types of diabetes can lead to chronically high blood sugar levels. That increases the risk of diabetes complications.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
Urinating frequently
Feeling very thirsty and drinking a lot
Feeling very hungry
Feeling very fatigued
Having blurry vision
Having cuts or sores that don’t heal properly
People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes may also experience irritability, mood changes, and unintentional weight loss.
People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes may also have numbness and tingling in their hands or feet. Good glucose management significantly reduces the risk of developing numbness and tingling in someone with type 1 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
Although many of the symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are similar, they present in very different ways.
Many people with type 2 diabetes won’t have symptoms for many years, and their symptoms often develop slowly over the course of time. Some people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms at all and don’t discover they have the condition until complications arise.
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes develop quickly, typically over the course of several weeks. Once known as juvenile diabetes, this type usually develops in childhood or adolescence. However, it’s possible to develop type 1 diabetes later in life.
What causes diabetes?
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes may have similar names, but they’re different diseases with unique causes.
Causes of type 1 diabetes
The body’s immune system is responsible for fighting off foreign invaders, such as harmful viruses and bacteria.
In people with type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakes the body’s own healthy cells for foreign invaders. The immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. After these beta cells are destroyed, the body is unable to produce insulin.
Researchers don’t know why the immune system sometimes attacks the body’s own cells. It may have something to do with genetic and environmental factors, such as exposure to viruses. Research into autoimmune diseases is ongoing.
Causes of type 2 diabetes
People with type 2 diabetes have insulin resistance. The body still produces insulin, but it’s unable to use it effectively.
Researchers aren’t sure why some people become insulin resistant and others don’t, but several lifestyle factors may contribute, including being inactive and carrying excess weight.
Other genetic and environmental factors may also play a role. When you develop type 2 diabetes, your pancreas will try to compensate by producing more insulin. Because your body is unable to effectively use insulin, glucose will accumulate in your bloodstream.
How common is diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is much more common than type 1.
The percentage of people with diabetes increases with age.
Men and women get diabetes at roughly the same rate. However, prevalence rates are higher among certain races and ethnicities.
What can increase your chances of diabetes?
Family history: People with a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes have a higher risk of developing it themselves.
Age: Type 1 diabetes can appear at any age, but it’s most common among children and adolescents.
Geography: The prevalence of type 1 diabetes increases the farther away you are from the equator.
Genetics: The presence of certain genes points to an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
You’re at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you:
Have prediabetes, or slightly elevated blood sugar levels
Are carrying excess weight or have obesity
Have a lot of belly fat
Are physically inactive
Are over age 45
Have ever had gestational diabetes, which is diabetes during pregnancy
Have given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
Have an immediate family member with type 2 diabetes
Have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
How are type 1 and type 2 diabetes diagnosed?
The primary test used to diagnose both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is known as the A1C, or glycated hemoglobin, test.
This blood test determines your average blood sugar level for the past 2 to 3 months. Your doctor may draw your blood or give you a small finger prick.
The higher your blood sugar levels have been over the past few months, the higher your A1C level will be. Test results are expressed as a percentage. An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher indicates diabetes.
The A1C test isn’t accurate for people with sickle cell anemia or the sickle cell trait. If you have this condition or trait, then your doctor will have to use a different test.
Which diets are recommended for diabetes?
Nutritional management is an important part of life for people with diabetes.
People with type 2 diabetes need to focus on healthy eating. Your doctor may recommend a low-calorie meal plan. This could mean reducing your consumption of animal fats and junk food.
Can diabetes be prevented?
Type 1 diabetes can’t be prevented.
However, it may be possible to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes through these lifestyle changes;
Maintaining a moderate weight
Working with your doctor to develop a healthy weight-loss plan, if you have overweight
Increasing your activity levels
Eating a balanced diet and reducing your intake of sugary foods or overly processed foods
Even if you’re unable to prevent the disease itself, careful monitoring can get your blood sugar levels back to normal and prevent the development of serious complications.
Recognizing Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms
Recognizing the symptoms of type 2 diabetes can help you get effective treatment.
These symptoms include high blood pressure, excessive thirst, and visual impairment. Many people have no symptoms, but most arise when blood sugar levels are very high.
Understanding Borderline Diabetes;
Borderline diabetes, or prediabetes, doesn’t guarantee that you’ll develop diabetes. But it does increase your chance of getting it. Certain risk factors like family history, weight, and age can raise the likelihood of prediabetes becoming diabetes.
Diabetes Risk Factors
Diabetes is a condition that affects the body’s ability to use blood sugar for energy. The three types are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Each type of diabetes has different risk factors to be aware of.
Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar isn’t quite high enough for a diabetes diagnosis.
