Hashimoto S Thyroiditis Diet Background on Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes!.
When diabetes is diagnosed, more is needed than just the knowledge that blood sugar is abnormally high, which is the basic definition of diabetes. If you asked the average man on the street: 'What is diabetes?', the most common answer would be: 'A lack of insulin'. In fact, less than 10% of diabetics are what is known as insulin dependent and this is usually diabetes of childhood, what is referred to these days as Type 1 diabetes.
The most common form of diabetes however, which is becoming a world-wide epidemic, is Type 2 diabetes which is caused by an entirely different underlying pathology. Usually insulin is not given on a regular basis to treat this type of diabetes.
As you can see it is important to know which type of diabetes it is in order to know which treatment is best. Methods for determining which type of diabetes you are dealing with include:
- a medical history
- family history
- a physical examination and
- laboratory tests
In Type 1 diabetes... the medical history might include:
- a problem pregnancy (in the mother)
- early childhood diseases such as coxsackie virus, mumps or rubella
- failure to thrive
- weight loss
- dehydration
- having an older mother
- having another autoimmune disorder... Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Addison's disease, multiple sclerosis, and pernicious anemia are examples of autoimmune disorders
Family history... might consist of having a parent with type 1 diabetes.
A physical examination might show poor growth, weight loss or dehydration.
Laboratory tests would be expected to show high blood sugar levels and low insulin levels.
In Type 2 diabetes... the medical history could include:
- hypertension
- heart or blood vessel disease
- stroke
- obesity
- sedentary lifestyle
Family history... might include a parent, sibling, or child with Type 2 diabetes.
A physical examination might be expected to reveal the person being overweight or obese, possibly with an abnormally large abdomen.
Laboratory testing would be expected to show an abnormally high level of blood sugar accompanied by a high blood insulin level.
Treatment:
1. Type 1 diabetes is insulin-dependent, meaning the treatment with insulin is necessary from the time the disease is first diagnosed. In Type 1 diabetes the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas are destroyed by a process known as 'autoimmunity'. This leads eventually to a total loss of insulin production. Without insulin the blood sugar levels rise relentlessly and without insulin, the person will die.
2. Type 2 diabetes is often treated in the early stages by diet and exercise, though there is a trend for people to be treated with tablets straight after diagnosis. The mainstay of Type 2 diabetes drug treatment in people both young and old is metformin. Metformin can generally be used across all age groups, as long as they don't have kidney trouble. This drug reduces the amount of glucose produced by the liver in the period between meals.
Generally speaking, there is nothing you can do to change your chance of getting Type 1 diabetes. But Type 2 diabetes is a different story; excess calories of any kind or just insufficient physical exercise combined with eating too much, is clearly related to obesity. And if you have a genetic susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes, obesity will make you much more likely to develop it.
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