Diabetes is often referred to as a singular disease, but not all diabetes diagnoses are created equal. In fact, there are two main types of the disease: type 1 and type 2. Gestational diabetes is another form of the disease that affects around 4% of pregnant women.
Usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and previously known as juvenile diabetes, type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Without these cells, sugar from the food a person eats cannot be moved out of the blood and begins to build up. When sugar builds up in the blood instead of in the body’s cells, the cells begin to starve for nutrients, causing other systems in the body to work to provide energy to keep the body functioning. According to the American Diabetes Association, only 5% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include:
- Increased thirst
- Increased hunger
- Dry mouth
- Nausea with occasional vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Frequent urination
- Unexplained weight loss, even though you eat and feel hungry
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Frequent infections of the skin, urinary tract, or vagina
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease, affecting 90-95% of the people with diabetes. Unlike people with type 1, those with type 2 diabetes produce insulin; however, their pancreas either does not produce enough or the body cannot properly use the insulin that is made. This also causes sugar to build up in the blood as opposed to providing nutrients to the body’s cells.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:
- Increased thirst
- Increased hunger
- Dry mouth
- Nausea with occasional vomiting
- Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet
- Frequent urination
- Unexplained weight loss, even though you eat and feel hungry
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Frequent infections of the skin, urinary tract, or vagina
Because diabetes care can be complicated, some extra assistance from a Chicago home care agency, like A-Abiding Care, can provide much needed assistance and stress relief for diabetics at home. Call us at 847-698-1400 or fill out our simple contact form for more information about our senior in home care services.
