Diabetes - Types, Symptoms, Causes & Prevention

Diabetes is a medical condition wherein the blood sugar or glucose level is higher than the permissible range. In medical science, this disease is categorised into two types, namely Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.Insulin is a hormone closely related to this condition. Insulin is responsible for extracting sugar from the blood, converting it to energy, and storing them in cells.According to an alarming report, 55.5% of men and 64.6% of women in their twenties residing in India’s metropolitan centers face a lifetime risk of diabetes (1). A diabetic cannot produce enough insulin or use the insulin for normal bodily functions. There various types of diabetes found in the human body can affect health differently.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease caused when your blood has an excess of sugar or glucose. Insulin is a biochemical substance found in the human body, which is generally responsible for converting this glucose into energy. However, in diabetic individuals, this hormone fails to function properly, leading to an increased glucose level.

                              What are the different types of Diabetes? 

1. Type 1 diabetes

It is generally considered to be a hereditary disease. However, environmental influence is also considered a driver of type 1 diabetes. This particular type of diabetes is often referred to as an autoimmune condition. Here, the immune system of your body attacks the beta cells present in the pancreas that produce insulin mistakenly. Therefore, insulin production gets hampered.

2. Type 2 diabetes

In type 2 diabetes, the body cannot properly use insulin. Instead, it prompts the pancreas to produce more insulin to a point when it cannot produce anymore. Resultantly, the blood sugar level increases in the absence or scarcity of insulin. Although the causes of type 2 diabetes are still unknown, the following are often considered responsible. 

• Genetics 
• Environment 
• Other health issues 

Besides type 1 and type 2 diabetes, another variant also afflicts human beings, known as gestational diabetes.

3. Gestational diabetes

This type of diabetes afflicts expecting mothers during pregnancy due to insulin-blocking hormones. Although it often resolves after giving birth, such a condition can impose potential risk for the baby’s health. Moreover, it increases the chance of suffering from type 2 diabetes in the future. Mothers suffering from gestational diabetes may exhibit symptoms, such as high blood pressure, future diabetes and inability to undergo a normal delivery. On other other hand, babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes often suffer from excess weight at birth, low blood sugar levels, respiratory conditions and more.

4. Diabetes in children

Earlier type 1 diabetes was common in teenagers, with malfunctions in the pancreas leading to insufficient insulin production. However, with obesity and unhealthy lifestyle on the rise, children today also face immense threat of type 2 diabetes. Adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle can prevent the onset of such conditions at such a tender age. However, in either case, the body shows some early symptoms of diabetes that help in diagnosis. Self diagnosis is also possible today thanks to specialised kits available from pharmacies. Mostly, these instruments include a small needle to prick on the tip of your finger to draw blood. This blood is then placed on test strips and inserted in the special testing machine. Results are immediate and relatively accurate.