What do we mean by Type I & II Diabetes?

Usually, Diabetes is of two main types - Type I Diabetes and Type II Diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes

A person is diagnosed with Type I Diabetes when their body stops producing Insulin.

This happens when the body's immune system destroys the beta cells responsible for producing insulin. these cells are usually present in our pancreas.

Glucose in the blood can't move into cells because insulin isn’t there to do it. Instead it accumulate in the blood and the cells starve.

This causes high blood/glucose sugar levels. This usually leads to Dehydration and Weight loss.

The body also starts breaking down fat cells to combat energy deficiency. This leads to production of a chemical call Ketone in the body.

Your liver also starts releasing the sugar it stores to help out. This combination of build up of extra sugar and acidic ketones in the blood and dehydration can even prove to be life threatening if not treated right away. This is known as Diabetic ketoacidosis aka DKA.

Type 2 Diabetes

In case of Type II Diabetes, the body is still producing Insulin but the body stops responding to its effects. This condition is called Insulin Resistance.

At first the pancreas just starts producing even more Insulin. But after a while it just can't keep up and the blood sugar levels start rising.

Reasons leading to Type 2 Diabetes

Type II Diabetes usually occurs due to a variety of reasons. One reason can be Genes. Scientists have found that there are different parts of our DNA that dictate how our body reacts to Insulin.

Being Obese can also cause Insulin Resistance in our body sometimes.

People suffering from a combination of conditions like high blood glucose, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides, also run a high chance of testing positive for Type II Diabetes, especially if they are over weight.

Too much Glucose from the Liver can also lead to Type II Diabetes.

Whenever we eat much more than the amount our body needs, our blood sugar rises above normal. Usually, liver starts storing all the extra blood glucose that we don't require. But some people's livers just don't do this and keep pumping more sugar into their blood stream.

Another reason for Type II Diabetes can also be malfunctioning Beta Cells in the Pancreas. It is possible for Beta Cells to release the wrong amount of Insulin at the wrong time into the blood stream and throw off the blood sugar. This can lead to high levels of blood glucose.