Despite knowing someone diagnosed with diabetes, it is still possible that you don’t know the type of diabetes they have. That said, it is difficult for you to understand and differentiate the two. To learn more about this topic and clear up the confusion, and have your questions about diabetes answered, read on.
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Diabetes and its two types
Diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus are two different conditions, and the former is what most people mean when talking about diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is when there is an unusually high amount of glucose in the bloodstream. Back in the day, when medical testing was not a thing, one could detect diabetes by tasting the urine.
To differentiate the two types of diabetes mellitus, we base it on the underlying cause of high blood sugar. The hormone insulin is involved in both conditions, and it is produced by specific cells in the pancreas and allows the body’s cells to absorb the glucose in the bloodstream. Significant problems arise when the body cannot use insulin to regulate blood sugar. High blood sugar in the body can cause blindness, damage organs, and leave one vulnerable to infections. The worst case that could happen with uncontrolled blood sugar levels is death. That is why it is crucial to properly manage diabetes and pay attention to their condition every day regardless of what type it might be.
Type 1
This type of diabetes develops in childhood or early adulthood and is often called juvenile diabetes. This genetic condition causes the blood sugar to rise uncontrollably since the pancreas’ insulin-producing cells are injured or destroyed and is unable to function correctly. Individuals with type 1 diabetes should use insulin injections to control their blood sugar. Otherwise, the blood sugar level will continue to rise. Continuous Glucose Monitors or CGMs is a handy device that measures blood sugar in real-time at regular intervals. You can monitor the results on a device or your smartphone. There are also CGMs that connect to insulin pumps to regulate the insulin released. The sensors of this device are connected to the patient with adhesive patches or tapes.
Type 2
This type of diabetes is developed in adulthood and is caused by several factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and environment. It is different from type 1 because the pancreas can still produce insulin, but the body’s cell is less sensitive to its presence. This prevents the cells from effectively absorbing glucose, causing the blood sugar to rise. Individuals with type 2 diabetes can control their blood sugar by taking oral medication. But as the condition progresses, one can become insulin-dependent. In this case, they rely on insulin to regulate their blood sugar level and can get severely sick without regular injections.
What do they have in common?
Both can be managed by understanding the condition and working with a physician. Whatever type of diabetes it is, it’ll require daily blood sugar monitoring, diet control, and regular exercise. Both can suffer from the same complications like loss of sensation in periphery extremities loss of sensation, neuropathy, and hypo or hyperglycemia. These can be severe but avoidable as long as one is vigilant in maintaining their long-term health. Those with diabetes can live fearlessly with diabetes management; that is what we live by here at Skin Grip. Our products can accommodate the unique lifestyle that people with diabetes have. We have waterproof and ultra-strong tape to keep your sensor in place so you can live life to the fullest.
source: https://skingrip.com/blogs/t1d-tips/type-1-and-type-2-diabetes-what-s-the-difference
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