Type 2 diabetes is usually milder than type 1 diabetes, but it can still cause significant health complications, especially in the tiny blood vessels of the kidneys, nerves, and eyes. It also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can have very serious side effects if they are not diagnosed or managed well. Like type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes carries the risk of diabetes complications over time.
Most people know that there are two types of diabetes, but not everyone understands the difference between them. In both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, blood sugar levels can get too high because the body doesn't produce insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar) or doesn't use insulin correctly. Although the problem is essentially the same in both types, they have different causes and treatments. Here's what you need to know.
The main difference between the two types of diabetes is that type 1 diabetes is a genetic disorder that often manifests itself early in life, and type 2 is largely related to diet and develops over time. If you have type 1 diabetes, your immune system is attacking and destroying insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. The pancreas is the flat organ that looks like an elongated, lateral coma and hangs behind the stomach. To diagnose type 1 diabetes, you'll need to have blood tests, one of which is called an A1C screening.
A1C tests measure blood sugar levels for the past two to three months and can be used to diagnose type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and prediabetes. Life Line Screening also offers an A1C screening from the privacy of your home through our at-home tests. The diagnosis of CAD most often also results in a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Another complication is low blood sugar or hypoglycemia, which can result from taking too much insulin.
Hypoglycemia needs immediate treatment to bring blood sugar back to normal, usually with foods high in sugar, drinking regular juice or soda, eating candy, or taking glucose tablets or gel. Type 2 diabetes is more common in the U. S. than type 1, and is usually caused by lifestyle.
With type 2 diabetes, the body still produces a small amount of insulin, but it is not effective enough. The pancreas cannot keep up with high blood sugar levels that result from poor diet and lack of exercise. Some people with type 2 diabetes actually have “insulin resistance”, which means that the pancreas produces insulin but the body doesn't recognize it (this is different from type 1, in which insulin-producing cells are being attacked by the immune system). Because of the genetic nature of type 1 diabetes, doctors do not frequently perform or recommend blood tests to determine the likelihood of getting type 1 diabetes.
When symptoms appear, blood tests are necessary for diagnosis. As mentioned above, an A1C test determines blood sugar levels for the past two to three months and is usually used to diagnose type 1, type 2, and prediabetes. Prediabetes means you have a higher-than-normal blood sugar level, but it's not yet high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. The causes, signs and prevention are essentially the same as those of type 2, but people under the age of 45 have a significantly lower risk.
If you have any of the symptoms of diabetes or prediabetes, be sure to get tested as soon as you can. Schedule an A1C Assessment to Get Started. Type 1 diabetes is a genetic disorder that usually manifests early in life, and type 2 diabetes develops over time largely due to diet. In both cases, the body does not produce enough insulin to properly regulate blood sugar but for different reasons.
If you have symptoms you can get tested for diabetes with an A1C test which measures your blood sugar level for the past two or three months. At Life Line Screening we have years of experience helping people prevent significant medical problems with vital early detection services including A1C screenings. In fact screening tests are our specialty. We partner with community centers to help people have quick and easy access to the screening they want to stay on top of their health - no long doctor visits no complicated insurance to deal with just practical examinations for people concerned about their health by trained professionals.
It is important that diabetes be diagnosed as soon as possible - if left untreated type 1 diabetes is a life-threatening condition - it is essential that treatment be started early. Type 2 used to be known as adult-onset diabetes but both types can begin during childhood and adulthood - it's more common in older adults but there has been an increase in cases among younger people due to obesity rates among children rising significantly over recent years - The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) strongly recommends that everyone who has diabetes be offered a structured patient education program which provides information and education to help them take care of themselves - An important feature of type 2 diabetes is lack of insulin sensitivity on part of body's cells (especially fat and muscle cells). If you've been diagnosed with prediabetes lifestyle changes can slow or stop progression to full blown diabetes - before it develops most patients will experience pre-diabetic symptoms - if treatment starts at this stage then full blown type 2 can be prevented - many people find it helpful to talk to others in similar position - you may find support from a group for people with diabetes - some antibodies seen in type 1 include anti-islet cell antibodies anti-insulin antibodies anti-glutamic decarboxylase antibodies - if you have diabetes and are thinking about having a baby it's a good idea to discuss this with your care team - if you have type 1 then you should be invited to...
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