Diabetes - Three Types of Diabetes

By Teri Champigny

Diabetes simply put is a metabolism disorder.  But, diabetes is far from a simple disease.  Metabolism is the process in which the body uses food, for energy and growth.   When we eat food, most of what we eat is digested into a form of sugar.  This sugar, in the blood is called glucose.   This is the primary way we get energy to fuel our bodies.   The glucose, once in the bloodstream, requires insulin to get to the cells. 

You can think of insulin as the transportation system for glucose to the cells.  Without insulin present there is no way to get it there.  The hormone insulin is produced in the pancreas gland.   Normally, the pancreas will produce the insulin needed to transport glucose to the cells in our body for growth and energy. 

But, with diabetes there is either no insulin produced or not enough insulin. It could also be that the cells are not appropriately responding to the insulin that the pancreas did produce.  Regardless of the reason, the glucose does not get out of the blood and into the cells.  It builds up in the blood and the kidneys react.  The glucose spills into the urine and is passed from the body, never getting to fuel the cells.

Diabetes can be broken down to three types:

Type 1 diabetes requires that a person take insulin daily in order to survive.   This type of diabetes is an autoimmune disease.  The bodies immune system has turned against the isles of langerhans , small insulin producing cells of the pancreas.  This causes the pancreas to produce little or no insulin. This type of diabetes has a rapid onset and occurs early in life, as a child or young adult.  However, it can occur at any age.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common.  The pancreas usually is producing enough insulin, but the body is not using that insulin effectively.  This type of diabetes usually affects people with a family history of diabetes, obesity, old age, people with a sedentary lifestyle, women who experienced gestational diabetes, and some ethnic groups. 

Gestational diabetes is the form of diabetes that can onset during pregnancy.   The condition is caused by pregnancy hormones or could be caused by a shortage of insulin during pregnancy.   Pregnant women are monitored closely with each physician visit for urine glucose since she may not show symptoms. After the birth of the child, the condition usually is resolved.  However, a woman who experiences gestational diabetes has an increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes later. 

Regardless of the type of diabetes, the disease needs management.  Usually it is managed with diet, exercise, education and at times, insulin or oral medications.  Follow your doctor’s instructions and ask questions to educate yourself about your type of diabetes