Diabetes is characterized by high blood glucose (sugar) levels. Hence, recognizing the early symptoms of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes can help ensure timely diagnosis, treatment, and prevent complications.
In general, we all use the term diabetes, but don’t know the difference between the two types.
In India, 66.8 million people are suffering from diabetes. Above all, almost 50% of people with diabetes remain undiagnosed[1]
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214999616000035
Since this condition is asymptomatic, atleast in the beginning, it’s hard to know that someone has diabetes. And most of us live our lives ignoring the little symptoms till they are too troublesome.
However, diabetes is not ignoring us. It’s a silent killer if not treated on time.
Recognizing diabetes helps a person to seek timely care and can prevent long-term damage.
Recognizing Type 1 Diabetes
In my childhood, I always overheard discussions about one of my relatives. He suffered from diabetes which was diagnosed at a very young age.
My little mind was not convinced and I wondered how could someone have such a disease at a very young age. With time I got to know that some diseases are due to genetic reasons.
In this case, my relative suffered from type 1 diabetes. During a routine checkup, he comes to know that he’s diabetic. He used to take insulin injections on his own.
Your pancreas doesn’t produce insulin in type 1 diabetes[2]. Insulin hormone helps the blood sugar to enter the cells for energy production.
Little insulin or the absence of insulin hinders this process. As a result, blood sugar levels increase in the bloodstream.
It starts damaging the body. If left untreated, this leads to several complications.
Those with type 1 diabetes will need to inject insulin to fulfill the body’s insulin demand[3].
A few years back I was surprised to know that my best friend’s brother was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
He was hardly 12 years old. During some checkups, they got to know about it. I asked her how her brother was managing with the disease at such a young age.
She told me that he took regular medicine & followed a healthy routine. Now, he is living a normal life by making certain lifestyle modifications.
Type 1 diabetes is less common and affects 5-10% of people.
Children, teenagers, and young adults diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It can be managed by living a healthy lifestyle and following the doctor’s advice.
Parents may notice type 1 diabetes symptoms in kids like feeling thirsty, losing weight, getting tired often, feeling hungry, going to the toilet a lot, itching, irritability, vision changes, etc.
Recognizing Type 2 Diabetes
According to WHO, 422 million[4] people suffer from diabetes worldwide.
https://www.who.int/health-topics/diabetes#tab=tab_1
In later years when my father was diagnosed with diabetes, our life took a U turn. Since this disease is asymptomatic, it’s hard to recognize.
One day on his way to the bank, he complained about dizziness. After his tests, we came to know that he had diabetes.
He suffers from type 2 diabetes. We all were worried, how we will manage it.
Most importantly, the one question always runs in our mind, would his life ever return to normal?
Type 2 diabetes is more common in adults. Also, obese children may suffer from it in later years.
In Type 2 diabetes, the body is unable to make enough insulin or the insulin that the body makes doesn’t work properly.
Hence, our body required insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. This condition increases blood sugar levels causing type 2 diabetes.
A caregiver may notice extreme weight loss, frequent urination, increased thirst, vision problems, and slow healing from minor cuts and wounds.
My father always complained about fatigue, hunger pangs shortly after a meal, and a dry mouth.
In some conditions, patients complain about numbness or weakness in the feet and hands.
The symptoms are similar to other common ailments[5]. Hence, for recognizing diabetes you can’t depend on your intuition.
Also, It is better to go for the blood glucose level test.
Having diabetes is not normal, but living happily with diabetes is normal.
Sometimes, we listen to so many suggestions, myths, and random advice in order to find a cure.
However, we must always follow the right and credible advice of the doctor.
One can manage diabetes by eating well, having an active lifestyle, and maintaining a healthy weight.
Also, take timely diabetes medications or insulin therapy as prescribed by your doctor.
Diet, exercise, regular monitoring, and adherence to medication are important factors in diabetes management. Empower yourself to live better with diabetes and take the pledge today to be #MoreThanMyDiabetes.
Disclosure: The views expressed in the blog content are independent and unbiased views of solely the blogger. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in the blog content are independent and unbiased views of solely the blogger. This is a part of the public awareness initiative supported by Sanofi India. Sanofi India bears no responsibility for the content of the blog. One should consult their healthcare provider for any health-related information. Refrences: [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214999616000035 [2] https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/type1.html [3] https://www.diabetes.co.uk/body/insulin.html [4] https://www.who.int/health-topics/diabetes#tab=tab_1 [5] https://www.intolife.in/about-diabetes/types-of-diabetes/type-2-diabetes/myths-and-facts
Having diabetes is not normal, but living life happily with diabetes is normal – so rightly said Bushra. Recognizing the symptoms and getting it under control is the most important thing. I have read you other posts in this topic and you are doing a wonderful job by letting people know about it in simple words.
I am seeing an increased diagnosis of Type 1 and Type 2 DM in my practice ,Early diagnosis is the key to leading a healthy and fulfilling life even with Diabetes.
Yes diabetes is a serious metabolic disease and sometimes there is no prominent symptoms that make it hard to diagnose. In my family my father is diabetic but he is managing his condition well by making proper lifestyle changes.
Hey this is a informative post regarding type 1 & type 2 diabetes… Even I have type 2 diabetes and I was completely unaware about it… One day I seriously got some symptoms & when I went to doc I was shocked to know tht I have diabetes… It’s almost 2yrs now I am adjusted to this.
Diabetes is one of the common diseases in India and proper awareness about it is a must. You have captured so much helpful information through this post for easy understanding of everyone.
Type 1 diabetes is very rare and it is important that it gets detected and we lead a healthy lifestyle to combat it. Quite an informative post!
I agree with you, we Indians ignore signs to any disease until you mentioned it becomes troublesome. You have recognized both the types really well. I think now people will be able to recognise type 1 or type 2 diabetes easily.
Diabetes is a silent killer. Unless one has prior knowledge about its symptoms, diagnosing can be difficult as the symptoms are similar to so many common diseases.
There is a lot of confusion in between Diabetes Type 1 and type 2. Thanks for this informative post I got to know the difference between the two clearly.
Those are very useful tips as usual. Sharing your article to my aunt so that she can handle this more carefully.
This is very informative and detailed post. My FIL is suffering from type 2 diabetes and I can relate to all the symptoms you have mentioned. But I appreciate his commitment as he is following all the tips mentioned by you.
Thanks for sharing this informative article. Thanks for sharing the difference between Type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes which are not the same disease. And yes exercise can help you keep blood sugar levels.
Those symptoms are very easy to misunderstand for general fatigues in kids. Happy to have read this post.
Diabetes is a very serious health issue and I’ve seen some of my extended family members suffer gravely due to it. Right diet n walking is the right way to deal with it.
Lot of people in my family are diabetic. It is so important to find out your type and make necessary lifestyle changes.
Sad to know diabetes is suffered by more than 60% of people in india. Exercising is the best thing to avoid diseases like this.
Yes I saw another blog on this too. I mean diabetes looks like it’s catching up with many celebrities too. Good information here especially when it concerns kids. My friend has a diabetic child. I know it’s hard. Will send this to her.
Type-2 Diabetes is so common nowadays owing to modern lifestyle trends that include improper and untimely diets and stress. It is really imperative to manage Diabetes with lifestyle changes and adaptations to ensure the continuity of a good quality of life.
This was quite an informative post for me, I am saving it. My both parents are diabetic and it is always better to know more about this ailment.
You are right, it is important to diagnose diabetes as early as possible as it silently damages the body of unchecked. I believe it is very important to do annual health checks to catch diseases like diabetes early on. I remember how scared my mum was when she discovered she had diabetes. But since then she has managed it very well with a good control in diet and medication.
This post is an eye opener. Didn’t know about Type 2 Diabetes and the fact that it is asymptomatic. Thanks for sharing such an important piece of information here.
My grandfather and mom have diabetes… I am thankful you shared this post! I will share this with them!
This is a very informative post about Diabetes. My husband was borderline diabetic but he passed away at such a young age. I really feel that I should have read about it more like you have explained it so well.
I too learnt the difference between them when my mother was detected with type 2. It ia crucial to know right facts about diabetes.
Indeed a great and helpful post. Diabetes is serious, but you can learn to manage it. People with diabetes need to make healthy food choices, stay at a healthy weight, move more every day, and take their medicine even when they feel good. It’s a lot to do. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it!
I still remember that in my mother in laws case her type 2 Diabetes got detected because of her frequent bathroom visits. Recognizing the right kind of diabetes and proper management of diabates is very important.
Diabetes is a very serious health issue and I’ve seen my own family members suffer gravely. Its crucial to have an healthy diet and some form of exercise to stay fit.
Diabetes is something that cannot be ignores and at the sae time not howl you entire life.
Yes it’s quite worrisome when a child has diabetes .. especially because you are not able to control him and it is difficult to make him understand that he’s different from other kids.
I absolutely agree to the healthy life and following correct diet with the right treatment is the key for better living. Diabetes is just the condition it is not a curse so people have to start thinking and adjust their lifestyle accordingly.
Very informative article on DM which is helpful for readers to know about it and what can be done.
I am aware About diabetes but never knew about type 1 and type 2 and your post clear all my doubts.
Knowledge of the diabetes is important and then living with it is not difficult as projected. This post provides information in right manner.
Glad to know about the diabetes. These are some great tips to follow. Great thoughts.
Diabetes has become very common these days.. Thank you for sharing this detailed post. #morethanmydiabetes
Very knowledgable post. In simple words you differentiated Type 1 and type 2 diabetes. My mom is diabetic, but she always tried to control it naturally like eating neem leaves, go for walk daily and some other ways. By changing lifestyle we can control on our disease.
This is important information that each one should know
It is alarming that more than 60% are diabetic . I really hope we adhere to a healthy lifestyle to avoid being in that number. This was an eyeopener
Thanks for letting us know about types 1 and 2 diabetes. Always good to learn new scientific information about diabetes.
Very Informative, Thank you for sharing.