What Is the Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?

Diabetes Type 1 is caused by the body’s inability to produce insulin, whereas Type 2 is brought on by the body’s improper utilization of insulin.

According to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost one in ten Americans suffer from diabetes.

Furthermore, the figure does not account for the 98 million Americans who have prediabetes, which is defined as high blood sugar (also known as increased glucose levels) but fall short of the diabetes threshold.

Over 90% of individuals with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, which is the most common kind. However, other varieties also exist. They also become confused easily. Myths and errors abound, particularly when discussing the distinctions between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

We discussed the distinctions between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, their causes, and the best ways to live with the conditions with Shannon Knapp, MEd, BSN, RN, CDCES, a certified diabetes care and education specialist.

Diabetes Types 1 and 2 in a Chart

One of the most prevalent chronic illnesses in the United States is diabetes.

However, what precisely is diabetes?

It begins with insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that aids in the body’s utilization of glucose, or sugar.

According to Knapps, “glucose is a good thing to have in our body, but it has to get into our body’s cells to give us energy.” “The bloodstream is where glucose is first produced, and insulin is the key that opens the cell doors. It makes it possible for glucose to enter our cells from our bloodstream.

Diabetes patients can be divided into two groups:

• There’s no insulin produced by their bodies.

• The insulin their bodies produce is not easily utilised by them.

One of the primary distinctions between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes is whether or not your body produces insulin.

Here’s a brief peek before we go into the specifics:

Type 1 diabetes	Type 2 diabetes
How common is it?	Affects about 1.3 million people in the U.S.	Affects about 37 million people in the U.S.
Why does it happen?	Autoimmune condition.	Hormonal condition.
Does your body make insulin?	No.	Yes, at least at first. But your body doesn’t respond to it.
Do you need to take insulin?	Yes.	Sometimes.
Can it affect kids?	Yes. Often as young as 4 to 6 years old.	Yes. It’s more likely in adults, but becoming more common in kids and teens.

What is the cause of diabetes type 1 and type 2?

Diabetes type 1 is an autoimmune disease. This indicates that an overactive immune system is the culprit.

When you have Type 1 diabetes, insulin production is absent from your body. This occurs as a result of your immune system mistaking pancreatic cells for foreign invaders. Your natural capacity to create insulin is destroyed when your immune system targets the cells in your body that make insulin.

Insulin is produced by people with Type 2 diabetes, at least initially. However, their bodies aren’t using it correctly. We refer to it as insulin resistance. It occurs when insulin-responsive cells in your fat, liver, and muscles quit working.

Recalling Knapp’s comparison of insulin to a key that opens your cell’s doors: Having type 2 diabetes is comparable to owning a key to a sticky lock on a house. You give the key several shakes. You keep taking the key out and putting it back in. You eventually give up trying to use the key. Hoping that someone is home to answer, you knock on the door. Insulin resistance causes the same changes in the pancreas.

Your pancreas attempts to produce more insulin in an extreme manner when you are first diagnosed with insulin resistance. We refer to that as hyperinsulinemia. In an attempt to make them function, more keys are being made. However, it may give up and throw the keys aside in due course.

According to Knapp, “people with Type 2 diabetes will typically see a decrease in insulin production over time because their pancreas isn’t producing enough of it anyway.” “It might eventually stop producing any insulin at all.”

Read Also: Diabetes diet: Make a nutritious meal plan

Handling Diabetes Types 1 and 2

Diabetes is a chronic illness. That applies to Type 2 as well as Type 1. Additionally, there are variations in the approaches taken to managing the illnesses.

Insulin and additional drugs

Individuals diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes are required to take synthetic insulin. Without it, their bodies cannot survive and they cannot maintain their health.

If their bodies are unable to produce insulin on their own or if they require extra, some Type 2 diabetics take synthetic insulin.

According to Knapp, “people with Type 2 diabetes frequently need to take insulin at some point because their pancreas stops making enough of it.”

Insulin is commonly injected using an insulin pen or syringe one or more times each day. With the use of an insulin pump, it can also be taken consistently. Even an inhaled version of insulin is available.

In order to assist manage their illness, people with Type 2 may additionally take additional drugs. Certain drugs stimulate the production of more insulin by the pancreas. Others function by incentivizing their liver to release fewer glucose molecules. Additionally, some can improve how well their cells use insulin. Depending on your needs, these drugs may be used with or without insulin.

Way of life

Changes in lifestyle are necessary for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Sustaining a normal glucose level is crucial in both situations.

Using continuous glucose monitors, finger sticks, or glucose sticks is one method this is accomplished.

Furthermore, maintaining a balanced diet is essential for diabetics. Knapp suggests that individuals with diabetes concentrate on consuming complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, healthy fats, and nonstarchy vegetables.

“Your food choices have an impact on your blood sugar levels, irrespective of the kind of diabetes you have,” she continues. Whether or not one has diabetes, everyone should plan meals that are healthy. However, those who have diabetes strive to maintain a balance in their diet and other factors that affect their blood sugar, such as exercise, insulin, and other medications.

For diabetics, stress management is especially essential. “Hormones released during our stress response can raise our blood pressure, glucose levels, and heart rates,” claims Knapp. Diabetes is more difficult to manage when stress and emotional reactions make it tougher to take care of yourself, eat healthfully, and exercise. Thus, stress reduction is quite important.

Can diabetes type 2 become type 1?

There are others who believe that Type 1 diabetes develops from Type 2 diabetes. Nevertheless, that is untrue.

Recall that diabetes type 1 and type 2 have distinct causes. You have Type 1 diabetes if you have an autoimmune disease that prevents you from producing inulin. Insulin resistance is a sign of Type 2 diabetes.

“It’s a common misconception that you have to have Type 1 diabetes if you take insulin, but that’s not true,” explains Knapp. When the body is unable to create enough insulin or any insulin at all, people must take insulin. Insulin use is not a sign of the type of diabetes one has.