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Types of Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes is a chronic, lifelong condition that affects your body's ability to use the energy found in food. There are three major types of diabetes -- type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
All types of diabetes mellitus have something in common. Normally, your body breaks down the sugars and carbohydrates you eat into a special sugar called glucose. Glucose fuels the cells in your body. But the cells need insulin, a hormone, in your bloodstream in order to take in the glucose and use it for energy. With diabetes mellitus, either your body doesn't make enough insulin, or it can't use the insulin it does produce.
Since the cells can't take in the glucose, it builds up in your blood. High levels of blood glucose can damage the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys, heart, eyes, or nervous system. That's why diabetes -- especially if left untreated -- can eventually cause heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and nerve damage to nerves in the feet.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is also called insulin-dependent diabetes. It used to be called juvenile-onset diabetes because it often begins in childhood.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. It's caused by the body attacking its own pancreas with antibodies. In people with type 1 diabetes, the damaged pancreas doesn't make insulin.
This type of diabetes may be caused by a genetic predisposition. It could also be the result of faulty beta cells in the pancreas that normally produce insulin.
A number of medical risks are associated with type 1 diabetes. Many of them stem from damage to the tiny blood vessels in your eyes (called diabetic retinopathy), nerves ( diabetic neuropathy), and kidneys (diabetic nephropathy). Even more serious is the increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
Treatment for type 1 diabetes involves taking insulin, which needs to be injected through the skin into the fatty tissue below. The methods of injecting insulin include:
- syringes
- insulin pens that use prefilled cartridges and a fine needle
- jet injectors that use high pressure air to send a spray of insulin through the skin
- insulin pumps that dispense insulin through flexible tubing to a catheter under the skin of the abdomen
A periodic test called the A1C blood test estimates glucose levels in your blood over the previous three months. It's used to help identify overall glucose level control and the risk of complications from diabetes, including organ damage.
Having type 1 diabetes does require significant lifestyle changes that include:
- frequent testing of your blood sugar levels
- careful meal planning
- daily exercise
- taking insulin and other medications as needed
People with type 1 diabetes can lead long, active lives if they carefully monitor their glucose, make the needed lifestyle changes, and adhere to the treatment plan.
WebMD Medical Reference
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