How many primary types of diabetes are there

Because of destroyed pancreatic cells that cannot supply the body with sufficient insulin, the disease leaves the person insulin-dependent for life.

There is no cure. Since insulin is required to allow glucose blood sugar to enter the cells and fuel the body, treatment aims at maintaining normal blood sugar levels with insulin therapy, diet and exercise.

Type 2 Diabetes - Insulin Resistance Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar. This is the most common form of diabetes where the body does not effectively use the insulin produced by the pancreas called insulin resistance. Although the pancreas will normally respond by producing more insulin, it eventually cannot keep a person's blood glucose at normal levels. Some people are diagnosed with symptoms of pre-diabetes obesity or genetic predisposition that can be treated with medications and lifestyle changes prior to a full onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Those who are insulin resistant often have Metabolic Syndrome, which is a group of conditions including high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides as well as extra fat deposits around the waste.

Type 2 diabetes can be managed with medications and sometimes reversed with major lifestyle changes. Type 3 Diabetes - Brain Diabetes Researchers know that extra weight and the onset of Type 2 diabetes can increase a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

Neuroscientists have identified a gene APOE4 that is present in more than half of the Alzheimer's cases. This gene interrupts how the brain processes insulin. High blood sugar can lead to chronic inflammation throughout the body and brain. Chronic complications include:. The main goal is to keep blood glucose levels within your target range. Your doctor will let you know what your target range should be.

Targets vary with the type of diabetes, age, and presence of complications. If you have gestational diabetes, your blood sugar targets will be lower than people with other types of diabetes. Physical activity is an important part of diabetes management.

Ask your doctor how many minutes per week you should devote to aerobic exercise. Diet is also crucial to good control. All people with type 1 diabetes must take insulin to live because damage to the pancreas is permanent. There are different types of insulin available with different times of onset, peak, and duration. Insulin is injected just under the skin.

Your doctor will show you how to properly inject and rotate injection sites. You can also use an insulin pump, which is a device worn outside your body that can be programmed to release a specific dose. There are now continuous blood glucose monitors as well that check your sugar 24 hours a day.

If necessary, you may also need to take medication to control cholesterol, high blood pressure, or other complications. Type 2 diabetes is managed with diet and exercise, and can also be treated with a variety of medications to help control blood sugar. The first-line medication is usually metformin Glumetza, Glucophage, Fortamet, Riomet. This drug helps your body use insulin more effectively.

You may also need medications to help control blood pressure and cholesterol. If you had gestational diabetes or have prediabetes, these habits can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. It requires lifelong disease management. But with consistent monitoring and adherence to treatment, you may be able to avoid more serious complications of the disease. If you work closely with your doctor and make good lifestyle choices, type 2 diabetes can often be successfully managed. If you have gestational diabetes, chances are it will resolve after your baby is born though you do have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Your stress levels can affect your diabetes. Learn how this happens and what you can do about it. Diabetic neuropathy is a serious but common complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes that usually develops gradually, over many years.

Learn about…. Diabetes is a serious, yet manageable disease, but you need to stay educated if you want to stay healthy and keep a safe blood glucose level. This makes a new diagnosis in yourself or a family member scary. The more you understand about something, the easier it is to cope with. As with everything, starting at the basics is essential.

So what exactly is diabetes and what are the different types? The easiest way to get a full picture of what diabetes is involves looking at it from a number of different angles.

Learning terminology is great, but it needs to be applied to circumstantial situations to be best understood. The same is said about learning the underlying causes of diabetes.

Everyone needs glucose for his or her body to function. It gets broken down, reworked by the pancreas, and released so your cells have the food and energy they need to do their job.

In some people, however, the system fails. Both result in a failure of glucose to be absorbed into your cells 4. The underlying reason behind this is still foggy, but genetics, environmental factors, and lifestyle choices all play a part. A lot of doctors point to lifestyle choices as the main preventable cause of Type 2 diabetes. Physical inactivity, diet, and more all contribute to your susceptibility.

However, it is estimated that there are about million people living with diabetes today, or about 1 in 11 adults 5. Over time, untreated diabetes leads to a number of health problems.