Types of Diabetes

What are the Types of Diabetes?

There are two main types of diabetes-type 1 or insulin-dependent diabetes, which used to be called juvenile diabetes, and type 2 diabetes, which tends to occur later in life.^[3][4] In type 1 diabetes, special cells in the pancreas stop making insulin, which is necessary for blood sugar or glucose to enter your cells. Because glucose doesn't enter the cells, it builds up in the blood. It is thought that the cells of the pancreas that make insulin are damaged by an immune reaction. In type 2 diabetes, the body makes insulin, but the body doesn't respond to it correctly. Again, glucose builds up in the blood.

A third type of diabetes occurs during pregnancy and is called gestational diabetes. About 1% to 3% of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes.^[5] Typically, it develops during the second trimester of pregnancy. Usually, it goes away after a woman gives birth. It is not known why women develop diabetes during pregnancy, but it seems to be due to hormones released during pregnancy that help the baby develop.^[6] These hormones interfere with the action of insulin in the mother's body. Infants born to women with gestational diabetes may weigh much more than average babies and may suffer from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or jaundice. These complications can generally be avoided with changes in diet and exercise as well as other recommendations prescribed by your doctor.^[5]