Diabetes is a metabolic disease that causes high blood glucose or sugar in your body. It is a common chronic health condition affecting over 30 million individuals in the United States. Although glucose is your body’s primary energy source, which is essential for various organs, including the brain and muscles, too much of it can damage the blood vessels. Diabetes may develop gradually without any symptoms, which is why Thomas Nguyen M.D., M.S. recommends testing your blood sugar levels. The following describes the different types of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs due to abnormalities in the functioning of your body’s defense system. Usually, the immune system fights harmful bacteria and viruses, but it may mistakenly attack and destroy insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. When this happens, the body produces little to no insulin, allowing blood sugar levels to increase in the average range. There is no exact cause of why the immune system responds, but possible causes include genetics, exposure to viruses, and other environmental factors.
There is no cure for this condition. Patients with type 1 diabetes require insulin shots to manage blood sugar levels. Lifestyle changes such as losing extra weight, exercising, and eating healthy foods also help disease management.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes develops when cells in your body become resistant to insulin or the pancreas produces insufficient insulin. Due to this impairment, the level of sugar in your bloodstream increases. Although type 2 diabetes is common in older adults, there are more children with this condition due to obesity in younger people. Like type 1 diabetes, there is no cure for type 2 diabetes, but eating well, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight can help you control sugar levels. The same lifestyle changes can also help reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes.
Prediabetes
If you have prediabetes, your blood sugar levels are high but not accelerated enough for the doctor to diagnose type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, you can prevent prediabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes with lifestyle adjustments. Examples of the changes you can make include making physical activity part of your everyday life, staying at a healthy weight, and eating healthy foods. Usually, prediabetes does not cause symptoms, but one possible sign is hyperpigmentation in certain body parts, including the knees, ankles, and armpits.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is diagnosed for the first time in pregnant women. Like other types of diabetes, it affects how your cells utilize glucose in the bloodstream. As a result, the sugar in the blood rises beyond the usual range, putting the mother’s and baby’s health at risk. The good news is that expectant mothers can control gestational diabetes through exercise, eating healthy foods, and taking medication. When you do not control gestational diabetes, the baby may have an increased risk of complications, including early birth, severe breathing problems, low blood sugar, obesity, and type two diabetes later in life. The baby can also die before or shortly after birth.
If you need to test your blood sugar levels, reserve a session with your doctor at Nguyen Medical Group.
