Categories
Diabetes Question

What is the difference between type I and type II diabetes?

s a asked:

How to identify whether it is the first or the second type and which is more dangerous?

Please advice the best ways to control the diabetes if the patient is unable to move by his or her self.

A thumbs up for all the answerers for taking pain to answer my question. Thanks you all for the information.

My best wishes (specially to Steph, Absin and Gumbo) for sharing their experience. I’ll pray for you longer life.

7 replies on “What is the difference between type I and type II diabetes?”

s a,
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease where the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes, also known as juvenile-onset diabetes, accounts for 10-15% of all people with the disease. It can appear at any age, although commonly under 40, and is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. People with type 1 diabetes must inject themselves with insulin several times a day and follow a careful diet and exercise plan.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90% of all people with the disease. This type of diabetes, also known as late-onset diabetes, is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The disease is strongly genetic in origin but lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and poor diet are major risk factors for its development. Symptoms may not show for many years and, by the time they appear, significant problems may have developed. People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to suffer cardiovascular disease. Type 2 diabetes may be treated by dietary changes, exercise and/or tablets. Insulin injections may later be required.

devilkittensays:

Type 1 needs to be insulin managed.Type 2 can be managed by tablets or diet. Type 1 is more dangerous as not managing it can cause serious complications and death. Whoever it is in your family that has it will have a diabetes nurse now and can ask any question whenever they need to. The only way to identify is actually checking the insulin levels in the blood already and the sugar levels. Overweight people are especially at risk of diabetes and most obese people will have some sort of diabetes problem. Losing weight can help erradicate the type 2 diabetes. If the paient cant move by themselves,someone will have to do it for them and they have to be strict.A homehelp is often applied here.

Setan Gondolsays:

Type I you can still lead a healthy life – just watch over your diet to reduce the sugar level; type II – wow, you might need daily dose of insulin by way of injection. If the patient is unable to move by him/herself due to this diabetes, it really spells danger!

still_hiddensays:

Type I is caused by a lack of insulin production in the pancreas. Type II used to be called late onset diabetes and is caused by overworking the beta cells of the pancreas through lifestyle/diet habits and predisposition to the disease. This overworking eventually causes the beta cells to fail to make adequate insulin or to develop an inability to use the insulin it produces. Type I always has to be supplemented with sub-Q injections of insulin. Type II if caught in time can be managed by diet, exercise and oral meds. In many cases Type II needs additional insulin by injection to supplement during meals or to help prevent a hypoglycemic event overnight.

It is exceptionally important to follow a diabetic management diet (the doctor should be able to give you information as well as direct you to a class on management of diabetes) Monitor your blood sugars regularly and consistently. Diabetes (both I and II) can be managed and the effects on the healing ability of the body of not consistently controlling your blood glucose can be tremendous especially if you are already immobile.

I’m afraid a few of the answers before me are not correct! I have been diabetic 14 years…I’m 22. I have type 1 (or Juvenil-insulin dependent diabetes). The difference is in Type 1 your pancreas has no working beta cells therefore produces no insulin. In type 2, the pancreas is slowing, meaning the beta cells are dying and do not produce enough insulin, but still produces some. Type 1 is an auto-immune disease that is genetic and the person cannot help getting it (not caused by anything). Type 2 is caused by being overweight, eating too many carbs and sugars. Type 1 is treated with insulin (several insulin shots a day, and some have insulin pumps). Type 2 can usually be treated with diet and exercise, the more weight a type 2 patient loses, the better chance of losing the diabetes. There is no cure for type 1 diabetes…yet : ) Hope I helped!

Absinthe-mindedsays:

Setan Gondol above me is NOT correct at ALL. Steph is completely correct. Type ones ALWAYS need to inject insulin for their entire lives. We produce NO insulin from our pancreas. Over time, even when they are very very careful, they are still not expected to have as long of a life span as a non-diabetic. This destroys your body over time and it is very difficult. But you get used to it. Type two is more common, usually but definitely not always caused by being overweight. What happens is their pancreas cannot produce ENOUGH and so they can take pills for it. But sometimes they are instructed to inject insulin, as injections give you somewhat more control. Type one is definitely worse but they are both annoyances!! Check out diabetes websites.

The two above me are only partially correct as well in their description of type II.

It may be that the beta cells are dying and not producing enough insulin. Or, the person may be insulin resistant, where enough insulin is produced, bu the body just can’t use it correctly.

In the latter case, diet and exercise help greatly. Losing weight helps in both cases, but for lightly different physiological reasons.

Comments are closed.