Although there are three main types of diabetes, many people do not know that a many types of diabetes exist. The three main diabetes types are:
Type 1 diabetes – According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is a type of condition in which the body’s immune system, which normally fights infection, turns against the body itself. In type 1 diabetes a person’s immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas which produce insulin. With little or no insulin being produced, a type 1 diabetic must inject insulin medically to survive. Although, this is not the most common of the diabetes types, diabetes type 1 is one of the most serious.
Type 1 diabetes used to be referred to as juvenile diabetes because it most often occurs in children and adolescents. However, it can be developed at any age. Symptoms come about over a very short period of time. If it is not discovered and treated soon enough, a type 1 diabetic can lapse into a life-threatening coma called diabetic ketoacidosis, as well as other conditions. The symptoms of type 1 diabetes are basically the same as in all types of diabetes. They include increased thirst and urination, increased hunger, unexplainable weight loss, blurred vision, and fatigue.
Type 2 diabetes– This is the most common of all types of diabetes. The risk factor for this diabetes type include obesity, a family history of the disease, a history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, older age, and certain ethnicities such African American, Mexican American, and Pacific Islander.
About 80% of type 2 diabetics are overweight, and type 2 diabetes is being increasingly found in overweight youths. Unlike other types of diabetes, the pancreas usually provides enough insulin, at least at first. The problem is, for some unknown reason, the cells ignore the insulin and do not take in blood glucose (sugar). This causes the excess sugar to remain in the bloodstream, which causes harm to the person’s body as time progresses. That is, if blood sugar levels are not controlled.
Gestational Diabetes– This is a type of diabetes that develops late in pregnancy. It usually disappears after the birth of the baby, but during the pregnancy the mother has to carefully monitor her blood sugar levels and eat healthily. Often women with gestational diabetes end up developing diabetes later on in life. In fact, they stand a 40 to 60% chance of developing type 2 diabetes within the next 5 to 10 years. Typically if a woman keeps her blood sugar levels within a healthy range her pregnancy is as normal as anyone else’s. One of the major risks of gestational diabetes is having a large baby, which can cause complications during delivery.
Diabetes Types 2
There are other types of diabetes, although they are rare. It is good to know about them, however, as some people become misdiagnosed and this affects their treatment. Other types of diabetes include:
- Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA)
- Diabetes Caused by Genetic Defects of the Beta Cell
- Diabetes Caused by Genetic Defects in Insulin Action
- Diabetes Caused by Diseases of the Pancreas
- Diabetes Caused by Endocrinopathies
- Diabetes Caused by Medications or Chemicals
- Rare immune-mediated types of Diabetes
- Diabetes Caused by Other Genetic Syndromes
To learn more about these diabetes types visit NIH.gov. By visiting this site you can also find information on the diagnosis and treatment.
