Health

Understanding Types of Diabetes: Causes, Symptoms and More

March 16, 2021

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which the blood has high glucose levels due to less insulin production. Insulin helps the cell to take in glucose molecules and make energy. The food has broken down into glucose or sugar molecules that produce energy with the help of insulin. Almost all cells need insulin for glucose uptake, except a few can make energy without insulin.

Types of Diabetes

Based on insulin production, diabetes is further classified into three distinct types.

Type-1 Diabetes
Type-2 Diabetes
Gestational Diabetes

In addition to the three main types, many rare forms of diabetes occur and are entirely different from type 1 and 2 diabetes.

Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY).
Neonatal diabetes.
Wolfram Syndrome.
Alstrom Syndrome.
Latent Autoimmune diabetes in Adults (LADA).
Type 3c diabetes.
Steroid-induced diabetes.
Cystic fibroid diabetes.

Cause

In all types of diabetes, the high blood glucose level is typical. Insulin is an anabolic hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps glucose molecules to produce energy at the cellular level. Initially, insulin signals the liver, body muscle, and fat to take glucose molecules from the blood. And consume it to supply energy to perform proper body functions.

Excessive glucose is intake by the liver, which stores glucose as glycogen. The defect in insulin production may cause high blood glucose or sugar level.

Symptoms

Symptoms may vary in each type, but some common symptoms of diabetes are:

Polyuria frequently trips to the bathroom to pass urine.
Polydipsia is feeling thirsty and drinking a lot of water.
Polyphagia is feeling hungry after a short time.
Fatigue.
Weight loss.
Blurred vision.
Genital itching.
Dizziness.
Slow-healing cuts and bruises are healing very slowly.
Nausea.

Diabetes Complications

High blood sugar levels for extended periods can damage your blood vessels. As a result, many complications may occur, maybe acute complications or chronic complications.

Chronic- complications are those that develop gradually with time. And do severe damage if they are left unchecked or untreated. The chronic complications include:

Eye problems (retinopathy).
Foot problems.
Heart attacks and strokes.
Kidney problems (nephropathy).
Nerve damage (neuropathy).
Gum disease.
Cancer.
Sexual problems in both genders.

Acute complications can happen at any time and may lead to chronic complications; they include:

Hypos when the blood sugar level is low.
Hypers when the blood sugar level is high.
Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State (HHS).
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA).

The risks of complications are lower by controlling blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

Management

Diabetes is a lifelong condition, and there is no exact cure for diabetes. It can be treated and controlled by managing diabetes. There are a few steps helpful in managing diabetes.

Keep your blood sugar level near to normal range by balanced food intake and medication.
Maintain your blood cholesterol (triglycerides) level near the normal range.
Control your blood pressure; it should not exceed 140/90.
Plan your balanced meal.
Do exercise regularly.
Regularly take medication if prescribed and follow the dosage and time.
Monitor your blood sugar level at home with a portable device.
Your consultant advises regular checkups and tests.

1- Prediabetes

Prediabetes is a medical condition that involves high blood sugar levels but is not too high to be considered diabetes. Most people with diabetes type-2 have prediabetes initially. Also, a person with prediabetes is at high for heart disease.

Cause

Several factors can cause prediabetes; some of them are:

Obesity.
Family history of diabetes.
Gestation diabetes.
High blood pressure.
Polycystic ovary syndrome.
Race or ethnicity.
Sleep.
Smoking.

Symptoms and Diagnose

Prediabetes is an asymptomatic condition that does not show any symptoms. It has diagnosed by the blood test A1C. In the morning, the fasting blood sugar test has performed by an individual. The result will match the normal range of the blood sugar level.

Typical range: is between 70 and 99 mg per dl.
Prediabetes range: is between 100 and 125 mg per dl.
Diabetes range: is higher than 126 mg per dl.

Treatment

The best treatment is a change in lifestyle to reduce the risk factors and help in prevention.

Lose weight.
Regular exercise.
Healthy diet plan.

These three factors balance blood sugar levels and keep them in range. In some cases, prediabetes is reversed by making lifestyle changes.

2- Type 1 Diabetes

It is also called insulin-dependent diabetes, associated with low or no insulin production. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar levels. In diabetes type-1, the pancreas may be damaged or attacked by the body's immune system.

Type-1 diabetes commonly occurs in children and adolescents. That is why it is also called juvenile-onset diabetes. The symptoms of diabetes type-1 are shown early at a young age.

Weight lose.
Wetting the bed.
Feeling weak.
Mood changes.
Blurred vision.
Being hungry and thirsty more often.

The symptoms may rectify, through treatment and dietary management.

Causes

The primary cause of type-1 diabetes is the insufficient production of insulin by the pancreas. The beta cells of the pancreas secret the insulin hormone to regulate blood glucose levels. In type-1 diabetes, the pancreas is damaged or affected by some autoimmune disorder.

The body's immune system fights against germs, bacteria, and viruses. In type-2 diabetes, the immune system attacks the beta islets cells and damages them. As a result, insulin is not secreted in the blood to maintain a glucose level.

Genetics and exposure to the viruses also play a role in the cause of type-1 diabetes. The role of genetics is still unclear, but if you have a family history or siblings may have diabetes, it may increase the risk of type-1 diabetes. Secondly, people who belong to a specific region may have a chance to develop type-1 diabetes:

African-Americans.
Native Americans.
Asians.
Pacific Islanders.
Hispanic Americans.

The HEVs Human Enteroviruses are also a common factor that causes type-1 diabetes. HEVs has a large variety of virus that enters the body through the gut due to poor sanitation and hygiene. Polio is the most famous example of these HEVs.

Symptoms

Along with common diabetes symptoms, type-1 diabetes may have some additional symptoms:

Dry skin and mouth.
Rapid breathing.
Flushed face.
Vomiting and stomach pain.
Fruity smell and breath.

Diagnose

Diabetes type-1 can diagnose through a series of tests. Some tests conduct quickly, while others take time for preparation or monitoring. The following ranges confirm the diagnosis of Type-1 diabetes.

Fasting blood sugar > 126mg/dl on two separate tests.
Random blood sugar >200mg/dl along with symptoms of diabetes.
Hemoglobin A1c > 6.5 in two separate tests.

Treatment

Type-1 diabetes is insulin-dependent diabetes, so a patient has to take insulin may be lifelong. The person may take insulin shots or injections in the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, and upper arms. The injected insulin may help to rectify the type-1 diabetes symptoms.

Metformin is an oral administration treatment for type-1 diabetes. It helps reduce blood sugar levels through reduced sugar production in the liver. Metformin may also advise with insulin on the doctor's note.

Management

Diabetes type-1 can be managed easily with a few changes in diet and lifestyle. Calculate the carbohydrate count of your daily meal and plan it thoroughly.

Regular exercise, quitting smoking, and alcohol consumption are helpful for the decrease the risk of diabetes-associated complications.

3- Type-2 Diabetes

Type-2 diabetes is a lifelong chronic condition associated with a high blood glucose level. The body cells are not responding to the insulin for sugar uptake and convert it into energy.

Type-2 diabetes is commonly known as adult-onset diabetes, although both type 1 and 2 occur in childhood. But, most type-2 diabetes occurs in the adult stage at a ratio of about 80 percent. The chances of type-2 diabetes in childhood are related to obesity and family history.

Causes

Insulin resistance is a medical condition when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver do not respond to the insulin signal. Insulin signals the cells to take up glucose and convert it into energy. When cells resist insulin, it results in high insulin levels and glucose in the blood.

It triggers the pancreas to secret more insulin, which may lead to damaged pancreas cells. Several factors are responsible for insulin resistance, like:

High blood pressure
Obesity
Inactive lifestyle
Genetic predisposition.

Symptoms

The symptoms may develop slowly in type-2 diabetes and may be mild or easy to rectify. The initial symptoms are:

Constant hunger.
Fatigue.
Weight loss.
Excessive thirst.
Itchy skin.
Blurred vision.
Frequent urination.

If these symptoms may not dismiss at first, these long-time and complicated symptoms may be produced. The symptoms are hard to treat and include the following:

Yeast infection.
Dark patches appear on the skin of acanthosis nigricans.
Foot pain.
Neuropathy.

Diagnose

Several tests follow the diagnosis of type-2 diabetes:

A1C: average blood glucose over the past 2 to 3 months.
Fasting plasma glucose: is performed in the morning when you do not eat or drunk for the past 8 hours.
Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): is conducted after consuming something sweet to check the body's tolerance level.

Treatment

The management of type-2 diabetes includes medication and changes in lifestyle.

Lifestyle changes

A slight change can make it easy to live with type-2 diabetes.

Weight loss: Losing some extra pounds will be helpful because obesity is one of the main factors of type-2 diabetes.

Healthy eating: Healthy eating includes:

Foods that are high in fiber and low in carbs.
Add vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to your meal.
Take out sweet and refined carbs from the diet plan.
Eat at regular intervals and divide your meal into portion sizes.

Physical exercise: Try to do some physical activity daily for 30 to 60 minutes. You can simply walk, bike, swim, and do yoga to keep your heart healthy.

Monitor your sugar level: Regularly check your sugar level to avoid mishaps and complications. Especially if you are on insulin intake doctor advises you to check your blood sugar before every insulin shot.

Medication

If the lifestyle changes are not enough, several medications are used for type-1 diabetes. Medication can cause side effects, and it may take time to find the best medicine. Medication is also combined to reduce the side effects and enhance the therapeutic effect. Some of them are listed here.

Metformin.
Sulfonylureas.
Meglitinides.
Thiazolidinediones.
Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).
Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLP-2) inhibitors.

All medicines should be used according to the consultant's advice, even if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol levels. You must address it to your consultant, who prescribes medication for that.

4- Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a medical condition associated with high blood glucose levels during pregnancy. In some women, gestational diabetes typically develops between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy.

Developing gestational diabetes is not related to diabetes that occurs before or after pregnancy. It vanishes after the baby is delivered, but you may be at risk of type-2 diabetes in the future.

The poor management of gestational diabetes increases the risk of diabetes in the child. Also, it develops complications during pregnancy and delivery.

Cause

The exact cause of gestational diabetes is unknown, but hormones are released in large amounts during pregnancy. These may play a role in developing gestational diabetes. These includes:

Human placental lactogen (hPL).
Hormones that increase the insulin-resistance.

These hormones help to sustain the pregnancy and nourish the placenta. They may resist insulin, which results in high blood glucose levels.

Symptoms

Usually, gestational diabetes has rare and mild symptoms. These may include:

Fatigue.
Blurred vision.
Excessive thirst.
Frequent urination.
Snoring.

Risk Factors

Here is an outline of risk factors related to gestational diabetes risk factors:

Age above 25.
High blood pressure.
Family history of diabetes.
Obese before pregnancy.
Expecting multiple babies.
Gain excessive weight during pregnancy.
History of gestation diabetes in the past.
Taking glucocorticoids.
Polycystic ovary syndrome.
Acanthosis nigricans.
History of unexplained miscarriage or stillbirth.
If you are African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, or Native American.
Give birth to a baby(weighs more than 9 pounds).

Diagnose

The glucose tolerance test diagnoses gestational diabetes. You'll drink a glucose solution and after one hour, you'll receive a blood test. If the results show higher blood sugar levels, then the range is. You will receive another 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test. The test is performed in two steps.

First, you'll receive a glucose solution, and after 3-hour, you'll receive a test. And if the result is not satisfactory. Then after fasting for 12 hours, you receive a blood test for 2 hours after drinking the glucose solution.