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What are the differences between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes?

HULK RULES!! - 2009-04-03 00:30:09 - Diabetes

I know type one is deadlier. But symptom wise, what are the differences between the 2 types of diabetes?

Best Answer:

Basically, type 1 is an autoimmune deficiency- meaning that your body starts fighting against itself, and eventually, someone with type 1 diabetes will stop producing insulin (the protein that regulates your blood sugar levels and enables your body to produce energy). This happens very quickly once it's triggered. As for symptoms... well, it depends what you mean. Before I was diagnosed, I was drinking about ten plus glasses of water and going to the bathroom a completely insane number of times a day. My mouth smelled like dried fruit. Once I even got a migraine during gym class, but I have no idea if that's related. I felt tired all the time and snapped at people a lot more than usual, too. People diagnosed with type 1 are usually otherwise completely healthy human beings (but I do happen to know that they're more susceptible to certain kinds of warts and gum disease.) And once you have type 1, you're stuck with it for the rest of your life- there's no cure. Insulin injections are just life support. Type 2 diabetes isn't quite the same. When someone has type 2, it means that they're still producing insulin, but their bodies have developed a resistance to it. It's also very likely that they're overweight. (The more overweight you are, the less effective your insulin becomes.) The symptoms are much the same as for type 1, but type 2 is a bit more dangerous. Because it is more slow to develop - sometimes taking as much as ten, twenty-some years before a person is properly diagnosed - the high blood sugar has more time to inflict permanent damage to your liver, nerves and general circulation. Unlike type 1, type 2 diabetes can sometimes be cured by losing weight around the belly and putting a more healthy diet into place. You can also take pills that will make your insulin stronger to help you regulate your blood sugars. So, basically... they have the same symptoms, only type 2 will be slower to develop and likely won't be caught until the person has had diabetes for quite some time. Type 2 also has the issue of loss of circulation. That's actually one of the best ways to differentiate between the two.

Answers:

Type 1 diabetes is the loss of insulin producing cells within the body. the majority of cases occur in children, but onset is also possible in adults. Type 1 accounts for around 15% of cases I believe. Those who get Type 1 Diabetes are usually otherwise healthy and of average body weight. There is no known preventative measure for Type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is based on the idea that your body stops responding normally to insulin. It is by far more prevalent in society, but mostly due to our lifestyles. A very likely factor that predisposes people to Type 2 Diabetes is central obesity (lots of abdominal fat). Other factors include genetics and age. the treatment and preventative measures for Type 2 are pretty much the same: healthy diet and plenty of exercise!

A very simple way of remembering the difference is Type 1 = lack of insulin and needs to take it daily Type 2 = Insulin resistance and many or may not need to take insulin Really are totally different diseases and I hate that they even have the same name.

The symptoms are similar, but more intense in type 1 - frequent urination, weight loss etc, but in type 1 you may also suffer from vomiting and nausea as the blood sugar level gets higher and higher. Once the condition is diabetes is diagnosed, the endocrinologist will do some tests to figure out what type it is and then prescribe a course of proper treatment. Type 1 is a bit deadlier because those patients have no insulin in their bodies. Type 2, however, is also deadly - just slower.

Personally i think type 2 diabetes should have a completely different name. Speaking from a type one diabetic (this isnt julia, its her friend) a diabetic perspective, symptems for getting type 1 diabetes include the following... always thirsty(its because your body wants to drain the sugar from your pee) consistinltly going to the bathroom headaches shakey legs eating too much sugar is what causes type 2. for both diabetes u test ur blood sugar but for type one u give urself insulin and for type two you take pills

Julia eatting to much sugar does not cause Type 2 diabetes just like it does not cause type 1

Type 1 normally occurs in children and juveniles while Type 2 is for adults. But new findings also indicate that Type 2 now occurs even in children and juveniles because of the rampant intake of junk foods and obesity in children. Anyway, go to this site to know details of diabetes: http://www.diabetes.org/ Good luck to you and God bless.

Basically, type 1 is an autoimmune deficiency- meaning that your body starts fighting against itself, and eventually, someone with type 1 diabetes will stop producing insulin (the protein that regulates your blood sugar levels and enables your body to produce energy). This happens very quickly once it's triggered. As for symptoms... well, it depends what you mean. Before I was diagnosed, I was drinking about ten plus glasses of water and going to the bathroom a completely insane number of times a day. My mouth smelled like dried fruit. Once I even got a migraine during gym class, but I have no idea if that's related. I felt tired all the time and snapped at people a lot more than usual, too. People diagnosed with type 1 are usually otherwise completely healthy human beings (but I do happen to know that they're more susceptible to certain kinds of warts and gum disease.) And once you have type 1, you're stuck with it for the rest of your life- there's no cure. Insulin injections are just life support. Type 2 diabetes isn't quite the same. When someone has type 2, it means that they're still producing insulin, but their bodies have developed a resistance to it. It's also very likely that they're overweight. (The more overweight you are, the less effective your insulin becomes.) The symptoms are much the same as for type 1, but type 2 is a bit more dangerous. Because it is more slow to develop - sometimes taking as much as ten, twenty-some years before a person is properly diagnosed - the high blood sugar has more time to inflict permanent damage to your liver, nerves and general circulation. Unlike type 1, type 2 diabetes can sometimes be cured by losing weight around the belly and putting a more healthy diet into place. You can also take pills that will make your insulin stronger to help you regulate your blood sugars. So, basically... they have the same symptoms, only type 2 will be slower to develop and likely won't be caught until the person has had diabetes for quite some time. Type 2 also has the issue of loss of circulation. That's actually one of the best ways to differentiate between the two.

Type 1 is genetic. It's in the sufferer's DNA, and something in their life will happen to trigger this. Usually puberty. The pancreas will stop producing insulin, which lowers the amount of glucose in the blood, but glucagon is still produced, which means the blood sugar is still getting higher. A type one sufferer is almost always insulin dependant (they inject insulin into their body at the time when they are eating, and also sometimes at night time. The night time insulin is usually slower acting, but there are chances of hypo glaecemia - low blood sugar - in the night with this.) Type 2 diabetes usually occurs through one's own lifestyle. This could be through obesity or other causes. Although sometimes insulin dependant, they are not always. Usually, through diet, their diabetes can be controlled. Many think that type one can occur through bad lifestyle, but it is only type 2.