Living with a Disabilty (Free Online Magazine)

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are serious illnesses that require treatment to avoid even more serious conditions or complications later in life. Symptoms vary a bit according to the type of diabetes, but with either type 1 or 2 you will generally get some warning signs that tell you it’s time to see a doctor.

Common Symptoms

People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes typically have some or many of these problems at times:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Extreme hunger
• Unexpected weight loss
• Sores that heal slowly
• Unusual fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Frequent infections, particularly of the gums, skin, vagina, or bladder

Diabetic Ketoacidosis

A diabetic ketoacidosis episode is how many people find out they have diabetes. When the cells in a body don’t get the insulin they need, the body breaks down its own fat for energy. This breakdown of fat produces toxic acids called ketones, which can cause serious problems including loss of consciousness or even death if not treated quickly.

Symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis often develop quickly, often within 24 hours. You may experience:

• Excessive thirst
• Nausea and vomiting
• Frequent urination
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue or weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Confusion
• Fruity-smelling breath

Prediabetes

Prediabetes describes the condition when your blood sugar, or glucose, is above normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. If you don’t treat prediabetes it is likely to turn into type 2 diabetes within 10 years.

Prediabetes often has no symptoms, but if you are concerned about prediabetes you can look for the symptoms of diabetes, especially increased thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, and fatigue. You may also see darkened areas of skin around your neck, armpits, elbows, knees, and knuckles.

It’s a good idea to ask your doctor for glucose screening if you:

• Are overweight, with a body mass index about 25 or more;
• Are inactive;
• Are 45 years old or older;
• Developed gestational diabetes or gave birth to a baby who weighed over nine pounds;
• Are African-American, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian American, or a Pacific Islander;
• Have polycystic ovary syndrome;
• Have high blood pressure;
• Normally sleep less than five and one-half hours a night; or
• Your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is lower than 35 mg/dl or your triglycerides level is over 350 mg/dl.

Gentle Warnings of Diabetes

If you have diabetes you may have some warning signs, but these signs may seem harmless. Some may have no symptoms at all. If you have any of the symptoms of diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis, or prediabetes listed above, you should see your doctor right away and describe the problems you have encountered recently. The earlier you start treatment the quicker you can get your glucose levels under control and the more likely you will be to prevent more serious problems.

If you have diabetes, the sugar, or glucose, in your blood is too high. Blood needs glucose because it is the main source of fuel for the body; but with diabetes the blood has too much glucose. There are three main kinds of diabetes: Type 1, type 2, and gestational.

Glucose and Insulin

First we’ll look at why people have too much glucose in their blood? Glucose comes from the food we eat. Plus, the liver and muscles of the body make glucose. Normally, the blood carries glucose to all the cells in the body. The hormone insulin, which is made in the pancreas, helps get the glucose into the cells. If your body doesn’t make enough insulin or the insulin doesn’t work the way it should, the glucose stays in the blood and can’t get to the cells. That is the process that ends up with people having too much glucose in their blood.

Type 1 Diabetes

While you can get diabetes at any age, people used to call type 1 diabetes “juvenile diabetes” because it is most common in children, teens, and young adults. With type 1 diabetes the pancreas does not make enough insulin. The treatment for type 1 diabetes involves taking insulin and perhaps other medications. Treatment also means eating the right foods, and getting enough physical activity. Some people with type 1 diabetes also take aspirin daily to get better control of their blood pressure and cholesterol.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as “adult-onset diabetes,” because many develop it at any age. It is the most common type of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes the cells of the body do not use insulin the way they should, these cells are said to be insulin-resistant. At first the pancreas produces more insulin to keep the cells supplied, but after a while it can’t keep up with the body’s need for insulin. Treatment is the same as type 1 diabetes treatment: diet and exercise, insulin and possibly other medications.

Gestational Diabetes

Women may develop gestational diabetes during the later months of pregnancy. This is usually as a result of either a shortage of insulin or because of pregnancy hormones. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born. But women who have had gestational diabetes are more likely to later on get type 2 diabetes.

Controlling Diabetes So It Doesn’t Become Disabling

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes can cause blindness (diabetic neuropathy), nerve problems (diabetic neuropathy), heart disease, kidney disease, and even amputations. It is very important that people with diabetes do their part to keep their diabetes under control through medication and lifestyle.