Types Of Diabetes - How Many Types Of Diabetes Are There?

For people who may be unaware, there are multiple types of diabetes. The major types of diabetes are Type 1, Type 2, Gestational Diabetes, and Pre-Diabetes. Though the general condition of diabetes is the same, one should become aware of the differences between the conditions they cause as well as how to treat and manage them.

Type 1 diabetes happens when the body does not produce the insulin hormone that is required to breakdown glucose to convert it into a useable form of energy for the body. As a result, there are several different conditions that could possible occur. For instance, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and ketoacidosis can occur as a result. Hypoglycemia is low blood glucose levels. Hyperglycemia, on the other hand is the opposite, the term for high glucose levels. A common cause for this condition in type 1 patients is that they may not have given themselves enough insulin. Ketoacidosis can lead to a diabetic coma or death, so it must be carefully watched for and immediately attended to.

Type 2 diabetes happens when the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body begins to become insulin resistant, thus ignoring the insulin all together. Several of the same conditions can result with type 2 as type 1. Hyperglycemia can occur in patients with type 2 for a number of reasons, like eating more or exercising less than planned, or stress.

Gestational Diabetes is one of the types of diabetes, but unlike the rest, it only occurs during pregnancy for women. It affects 4% of pregnancies per year, or roughly 135,000 pregnancies per year in the United States. The exact cause is unknown, but doctors believe that the hormones in the placenta which help the baby to develop can also play a role in the prevention of insulin usage in the mother’s body, creating a n insulin resistance that will require the mother to need up to three times the normal amount of insulin during her pregnancy. Generally, gestational diabetes will not affect the unborn child, unless it goes untreated or is poorly managed. If this happens, extra glucose from the mother’s blood stream will pass to the child, which will in turn cause the child’s pancreas to work overtime to produce enough insulin to rid itself of the excess glucose. The baby already has the energy it needs, so this excess is stored as fat.

The last major type of diabetes is classified as pre-diabetes. This occurs when a person has higher than normal blood sugar levels but those levels are not quite high enough for the classification of full blown type 2 diabetes. If caught early enough and managed properly, then there is a great possibility that type 2 diabetes may never actually develop. Risk tests are available online for people to use to see if they are at risk for developing pre-diabetes.

Knowing more about the types of diabetes, the conditions they cause and how to treat them will help in understanding how to cope with the condition. If there is a suspicion of having the condition, this can aid in determining which type to ask a healthcare professional about.