There is a lot of similarity between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in terms of symptoms and methods of examination, but these two types also differ in several matters. Learn about the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in this article. Diabetes is divided into two types: type 1 and type 2, and these two types share many symptoms and characteristics, but there are some differences as well, such as that type 2 affects 90% of people, while type 1 affects only 8% of patients with diabetes. .
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes share that high blood sugar is dangerous in both types, so a patient with either type must take caution and follow what is necessary to avoid complications, but what is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes: causes
There are different causes of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but the main cause is insulin, which is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in the human body, and this hormone works to regulate the level of sugar in the blood.
The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in terms of the causes of infection is one of the most important differences. Here are the most important reasons behind type 1 and type 2 diabetes:
1. Causes of type 1 diabetes
The immune cells in the human body in this type attack the beta cells of the pancreas, which produce insulin, and the reason behind this is still unknown, but the reason is sometimes attributed to the infection of children with a pathological infection at a young age.
The risk factors for type 1 infection are as follows
The presence of hereditary genes for diabetes.
The presence of some genetic differences that lead to an imbalance in the secretion of the hormone insulin in the body.
Pre-existing medical conditions, such as cystic fibrosis and iron storage disease.
Infection with a viral infection, such as: mumps.
2. Causes of type 2 diabetes
In this type, the cells of the body begin to resist insulin, and at the same time the pancreas begins to make less insulin, which leads to the failure to burn sugar in the blood normally.
Cell resistance to insulin means that sugar does not enter the cells to be burned, but sugar remains in the blood and its rate rises gradually.
What happens is that when the amount of sugar in the blood remains high for a long time, this makes the cells of the body insensitive to insulin, and they gradually resist insulin until insulin becomes ineffective because there is no response from the cells.
The risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes are as follows
Having a family member with type 2 diabetes.
Obesity.
smoking.
A diet full of unhealthy foods.
Not doing any exercise.
Consuming some medications, such as epilepsy medications and AIDS medications.
The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes: symptoms
It is worth noting that there is no difference in the symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but type 1 and type 2 differ in the time of onset of symptoms only, as follows:
1. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes usually begins in young children and people in the prime of life, and it can occur at a later time as well, and a person gets this type suddenly, and the condition worsens with a little time.
Type 1 diabetics experience severe and frequent bouts of high and low blood sugar.
2. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes
Symptoms appear in the second type in adults, but with the increase in obesity in children in the current age, it became possible for the symptoms of type 2 diabetes to appear at a young age, and the symptoms appear after a little long time and gradually.
Symptoms of high and low blood sugar attacks rarely and less commonly occur in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes: treatment
In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys the cells of the pancreas, which means that the body becomes unable to make insulin, so a person needs insulin injections to compensate for the deficiency in his body for life.
The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in terms of treatment is that the patient does not need insulin immediately after contracting the disease in type 2, but may need it in later periods.
The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes: prevention
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented when diagnosed early, and the disease can be controlled before it occurs through exercise and a healthy diet to prevent the disease from getting worse.
But type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented.
