Types of Diabetes

There are Different Types of Diabetes

Type 1

• Used to be called "juvenile diabetes" but no longer is because it can occur in older people, not only children and adolescents
• The CDC estimates that nearly 1.6 million Americans have it, including about 187,000 children and adolescents
• The body does not produce insulin
• Is often a sudden illness
  • The body (actually, the pancreas, a gland which sits behind the stomach) stops making insulin
  • It's not really understood why
    • Sometimes it happens after trauma to the belly area
    • Other times there is no apparent injury or reason
• The sugar immediately begins to build up in the blood and within hours or days the person is very ill
• The blood sugars may be as high as 1,000
• If not diagnosed and treated promptly, it can be fatal
• People with type 1 diabetes can live very normal lives by taking insulin daily
• Researchers are developing ways to transplant pancreas tissue to provide a regular internal source of insulin again and working with nanotechnology to insert tiny robots into the blood that can provide insulin as needed
• Insulin has to be given daily
• This type of diabetes occurs more commonly among children and youth, but lasts a lifetime
• Type 1 diabetes is less common among American Indians and Alaska Natives than is Type 2

Type 2

• Used to be called "adult onset diabetes" but now there are children and teens who also develop this type of diabetes
• Is the most common form of diabetes for all racial groups
• The body doesn't use insulin properly
• In type 2 diabetes the body becomes unable to use its own insulin
  • This is called "insulin resistance"
  • It happens very gradually
  • The blood sugar may rise very slowly over months or years
  • For this reason the person doesn't usually suddenly get ill
  • They may have no symptoms for a long time
  • But even though they don't feel ill, the high blood sugar is causing complications, such as damaging the blood vessels in the heart and eyes
• This type of diabetes is the one which most American Indians and Alaska Natives get
• But if the IHS or your local health care clinic does a sugar (blood glucose) test when you go in for your regular check-up, the high sugar can be found early and treatment can begin before it has caused any symptoms - and most importantly, before it has caused any complications

Gestational diabetes

• It happens to millions of women after they conceive (are pregnant)
• It can hurt both the mother and the baby  
• Pregnancy can trigger Type 2 diabetes
• Once the baby is delivered, the blood sugar usually returns to normal
• Women who have gestational diabetes have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life
• Gestational diabetes and newborns
• Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes often weigh more
• Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes are at greater risk of developing diabetes as they get older
• Breastfeeding Indian babies decreases their risk of getting type 2 diabetes
• Can you have diabetes and become pregnant?
• Yes, you can become pregnant
• But, your prenatal care during this and other pregnancies will have to be closely monitored by your doctor
• You may need to see your doctor more often
• You may need to be on insulin while you are pregnant
• Your medicine and your blood sugar testing may also be more frequent so that both you and the baby remain healthy