All types of diabetes mean that sugar levels build up in your blood.
Your blood sugar levels are usually controlled by a hormone called insulin. If you don’t have enough insulin, or if it’s not working properly, you can develop diabetes.
- In type 1 diabetes, the bodies immune system destroys the cells that release insulin. The cause is unknown. People need insulin to survive, so people with type 1 diabetes have to take insulin every day, either by injection or through a stomach pump. People usually get the disorder in their childhood or when they are a teenager
- In type 2 diabetes the body still produces insulin, but the body's cells do not cooperate with it. Therefore they need extra insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. People tend to get type 2 diabetes from being overweight or being inactive, but the exact cause is not known. Treating type 2 diabetes involves a mixture of diet and exercise, including medication. Typically this diabetes affects people over 40, but children can be diagnosed too.
- Women who have never had diabetes before, but who have high blood glucose (sugar) levels during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes. When a woman is pregnant they produce hormones from the placenta, these same hormones also block the action of insulin. This makes it very hard for the mother's body to produce insulin, which is called "insulin resistance". They need to take insulin to function during the pregnancy, and also to protect the fetus.
Symptoms of type 1
- increased thirst
- increased hunger
- fatigue
- blurry eyesight
- numbness or tingling in the feet
- losing weight without trying
- frequent urination
serious symptoms (usually when blood sugar is high but can be first signs)
- deep, rapid breathing
- dry skin and mouth
- flushed face
- fruity breath odor
- nausea and vomiting
- stomach pain
Symptoms of type 2
- increased thirst
- frequent urination
- increased hunger
- losing weight without trying
- fatigue
- blurry eyesight
- slow healing sores or frequent infections
- areas of darkened skin
Gestational Diabetes symptoms
- increased thirst
- frequent urination
- fatigue
- nausea
- frequent vaginal, bladder, and skin infections
- blurry eyesight
