Health and Fitness

The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

The Health Master

October 7, 2021

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Lab Laboratory Diabetes Blood sugar — Picture: Pixabay

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Last Updated on October 8, 2021 by The Health Master

The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

Symptoms of diabetes

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have common symptoms. A person suffering from diabetes may show the following signs:

Frequent urge to urinate
Feeling parched all the time
Feeling extremely famished
Feeling exhausted
Blurry vision
Cuts and sore that do not heal

Apart from this, people suffering from type 1 diabetes also experience extreme mood swings and unexplained weight loss, while people with type 2 diabetes may have numbness and tingling sensation in their hands or feet.

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Do you know the difference?

The global burden of diabetes has expanded rapidly in the past few decades. The lifestyle disease has become a common health concern, affecting 425 million people worldwide.

Every year about 1.6 million people lose their lives due to diabetes-related complications.

Also read: Type-2 diabetes has four variations: Study

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Type 1 vs Type 2

Also known as Diabetes mellitus, this health problem occurs when the body cannot store and use glucose properly, which is essential for energy. Broadly diabetes is of two types:

Type 1 and Type 2. Most people get confused between the two considering them the same. However, there is a lot of difference between them.

Both are chronic diseases and lead to chronically high blood sugar levels, but the causes and the way they affect the body is completely distinct from each other.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is also sometimes referred to as the juvenile-onset diabetes as it often first appears in children and adolescents.

In this type of diabetes, the immune system mistakes the healthy cells of the body as foreign invaders and attacks them.

They destroy the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, due to which the body can no longer produce insulin.

The reason why the immune system attacks the healthy cells is unknown and it is believed to be linked with genetic and environmental factors.

In most of the cases, type 1 diabetes is hereditary and cannot be prevented.

The risk factor of type 1 diabetes

Some of the common risk factors of type 1 diabetes are:

Family history: If someone in your family like your parents or grandparents have this health concern then the likelihood of you getting this disease increases.

Age: The signs of type 1 diabetes can appear at any age, but it is more common among children and adolescents.

Genetics: Presence of some specific genes in the body can increase the risk of developing this disease.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is more common among grown-ups. Lately, the symptoms have been witnessed even in children due to poor lifestyle habits.

In type 2 diabetes, while the pancreas does produce insulin, the body is not able to use it effectively. All the insulin gets accumulated in the bloodstream, leading to a spike in the blood sugar level.

Type 2 diabetes is more common than type 1 diabetes. The real reason why some people become insulin resistant is not known.

But researchers believe that it is linked with poor lifestyle habits and excess weight.