CANTIKA.COM, Jakarta – Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot properly store and use glucose, which is essential for energy. This glucose then collects in the blood and does not reach the cells that need it, causing serious complications.
To simplify the explanation, glucose is the fuel that feeds your body’s cells, but it requires a key to enter your cells. Insulin is the key.
There are two types of diabetes, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin, so they don’t have a glucose key. Meanwhile, people with type 2 diabetes don’t respond to insulin as they should and then the disease often doesn’t make enough insulin. It can be like having a broken lock. Both types of diabetes can cause chronically high blood sugar levels.
Symptoms development
Although many symptoms type 1 diabetes and type 2 are similar, the symptoms are very different. Many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms for years, and symptoms often develop slowly over time. Some people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms at all and don’t know they have the disease until complications arise.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes develop quickly, usually over a few weeks. Once known as juvenile diabetes, this type usually develops in childhood or adolescence. However, it is possible to develop type 1 diabetes later in life.
If left untreated, type 1 and type 2 diabetes can cause symptoms such as frequent urination, feeling very thirsty, very hungry, very tired, blurred vision, cuts or wounds that don’t heal properly.
People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes may also experience irritability, mood swings, involuntary weight loss and may also experience numbness and tingling in their hands or feet.
Reason
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes may have the same symptoms, but the causes are different. In people with type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakes the body’s own healthy cells for foreign invaders. Because of this, the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Type 2 diabetes is mainly caused by two interrelated problems. First, cells in muscle, fat and liver become resistant to insulin. Because these cells don’t interact normally with insulin, they don’t take in enough sugar. Another problem is that the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.
Risk factors for type 1 and type 2 diabetes
People with parents or siblings with type 1 diabetes have a higher risk of developing diabetes. Talking about age, type 1 diabetes can appear at any age, but it is most common in children and adolescents.
You are at risk for type 2 diabetes if you have prediabetes, or slightly elevated blood sugar levels. Those who are overweight or have obesityhaving a lot of belly fat or being physically inactive are also at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In terms of age, those over the age of 45 have a higher risk, compared to those who are younger. If you have had gestational diabetes, which is diabetes during pregnancy or have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), then you are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
How is it treated
There is no cure for type 1 diabetes. Everyone with type 1 diabetes needs to take insulin. People with type 1 diabetes need to check their blood sugar levels with a device called a glucometer about four times a day to find out how much insulin to take. Blood sugar testing is an important part of managing type 1 diabetes, because levels can rise and fall quickly.
Treatment for type 2 diabetes also begins with diet and exercise, and oral medications can also be used to increase the amount of insulin the pancreas produces. Over time, if your pancreas stops making insulin, your doctor may recommend insulin injections. Your doctor may suggest testing your blood sugar occasionally or more often.
Read also: Diabetes in women, recognize the characteristics and factors that increase the risk
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