So How Many Diabetes Types Are There?

There are a few different diabetes types, some more common than the others. The most uncommon type is Diabetes Insipidus. This is caused by kidneys that cannot conserve enough water to perform their main function of filtering the blood through the kidneys to remove waste products. This condition is caused when there is either a lack of the antidiuretic hormone (AHD) or the kidneys cannot respond properly to this hormone. The main symptoms are extreme thirst and excessive urination.

The main diabetes types that people are aware of are:

• Type 1 - commonly called Insulin Dependent or Juvenile Diabetes
• Type 2 - commonly called Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes
• Gestational - this diabetes type is Pregnancy-related
• Pre-Diabetes - when blood glucose is higher than normal, but lower than in the diabetic range

Type 1 Diabetes

This is an auto-immune disease that causes the body to attack its own tissues, in this case, the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them so that the body no longer produces insulin. The body will die without insulin, so anyone contracting Type 1 Diabetes must take insulin shots everyday to survive. This diabetes type is more commonly found in children, but it can happen at any age.

Scientists are not sure what causes Type 1 Diabetes, but they assume it is a virus that triggers an auto-immune condition where the body attacks itself. When Type 1 Diabetes strikes, it usually happens very quickly and the person will develop symptoms over a short period of time and will have to have insulin quickly or they could fall into a life-threatening diabetic coma. Scientists estimate that it affects approximately 5 to 10% of all diabetes types.

Type 2 Diabetes

Ninety to ninety-five percent of the people with diabetes have Type 2. This is by far the most common diabetes type. It usually develops slowly over many years and is caused mainly by insulin resistance, which means the body still produces insulin but does not use it efficiently. There are certain risk factors associated with Type 2, which are as follows:

• Family history of diabetes

• Previously having gestational diabetes

• Being overweight or obese

• Sedentary lifestyle

• Being over age 40 (although increasingly younger people, even children, are being diagnosed)

The main signs and symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are:

• frequent urination, particularly overnight

• dry mouth

• increased / excessive thirst,

• increased urination, particularly at night,

• fatigue

• increased hunger

• irritability or mood change

• tingling or numbness in hands or feet

• food cravings (especially for refined carbohydrate sweets) and

• blurry vision.

Gestational Diabetes

This diabetes type occurs only during pregnancy. Approximately 20 to 50% of women who develop it will often develop Type 2. Of course, this diabetes type is very dangerous to the health of both the mother and the child and must be monitored very carefully by a physician throughout the entire pregnancy. Having said that, if the diabetes condition is controlled than there should be no danger to either the mother or the child.

Pre-Diabetes

This is becoming more common as obesity levels increase. Pre-diabetes is diagnosed when your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetic. This is often diagnosed by administering a glucose tolerance test. If a person finds out they are pre-diabetic early enough to control their blood sugar levels through diet and if they are able to lose weight through healthy nutrition and exercise, then they need never develop diabetes. This is a very serious warning sign which should not be ignored. (This condition is sometimes called Insulin Resistance or Impaired Glucose Tolerance.)

So now that you know the different Diabetes Types, why is it important to manage these conditions?

No matter which of these diabetes types you have, it is very important to manage Diabetes because over time high blood glucose levels and high insulin levels are very damaging to the body. The following is just a short list of the health problems caused by high glucose levels and high insulin levels:

• high blood pressure,

• high cholesterol,

• blood vessel blockage in the heart,

• blood vessel blockage in the brain (stroke),

• blood vessel blockage to the legs (which may lead to amputation of limbs),

• kidney damage, 

• nerve damage (which also may lead to amputation of limbs) and

• eye damage (retinopathy), which leads to blindness.

As a matter of fact, people don't actually die of the disease "diabetes", they die of complications caused by diabetes, which in fact is even more dangerous because there are so many different health problems caused by this disease. 

As you can see, managing these different diabetes types is very important for your health. 

So, How Do You Do This?...

If you think you are at an increased risk of developing Diabetes, there are many things you can do to prevent this from happening.  And they are all centred around changing your lifestyle to include a healthy diet and exercise.  But there is a bit more to it than just eating healthy.  You can eat a healthy diet and still be inadvertently increasing your chances of developing insulin resistance and diabetes. 

How?

Because there are certain foods that trigger unstable blood sugar levels, even if they are healthy.  It is important to know which foods stabilise blood sugar levels, decrease food cravings and improve your health.

The NEW "Learn How To Control Diabetes With Diet ... Naturally" e-book, coupled with the "Diet Free ... At Last!" Program will teach you everything you need to know to prevent insulin resistance and diabetes, or to manage your diabetic condition...

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