Diabetes

Let’s talk about diabetes. First, there are multiple types of diabetes. There are actually 3 types of diabetes at this point. The third type I won’t even talk about because it is rare and will only affect a few people.

Type 1 diabetes is super straightforward. It is simply that the pancreas stops making insulin. Type 1 diabetes shows up in kids or very young adults. The treatment is simple but complicated to accomplish. Type 1 diabetics just need insulin: it’s that simple. The hard part is administering the correct amount of insulin at the right time to keep the blood sugar controlled without going low. That’s the annoying part. So, it can still be very difficult to treat.

Type 2 diabetes is a lot more complex. However, I’ll break it down into two simple processes. Type 2 generally only affects adults, but sadly, it can even occur in obese children. This is how Type 2 diabetes occurs; problem 1 is that the body becomes insulin resistant. Unlike type 1, type 2 patients make plenty of insulin. It’s just that over time, their body begins to ignore it, so the pancreas must make more and more to get the job done. Eventually, that leads to problem 2: pancreatic insufficiency, which eventually leads to pancreatic failure. I call it whipping the horse at the end of the race. Ultimately, the pancreas cannot keep up with the demand, and it starts to decrease its output and eventually stops altogether. Next week, I’ll be talking about the major causes of diabetes 1 and 2.