The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 29 million people in the US have some sort of diabetes. If you think about the numbers, that is about 9 percent of the country’s population. People who are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are those who are having problems regulating their blood sugar. Basically, they have high blood sugar because their bodies don’t produce sufficient insulin or are not responsive to insulin. It is also common to have a combination of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but majority are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. ContinuCare Home Health Inc. in San Antonio Texas will be discussing everything you need to k

Just how does Type 2 diabetes affect the body’s blood sugar?

Every time we eat, the body digests carbohydrates into glucose, a type of sugar. Glucose is considered as the cell’s main energy source which is needed to perform bodily functions. To be able to perform this process, cells need insulin hormone in the pancreas to absorb and use glucose as a form of energy. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body’s cells become resistant to insulin. Over time, the body will then stop making insulin resulting to a build up of glucose in the blood.

How does Type 1 diabetes differ from Type 2 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes or juvenile onset diabetes typically happens in childhood, though it is not uncommon for it to be diagnosed later in life. Type 1 diabetes patients are not capable of making insulin. They need to inject insulin in order to control their blood sugar. Only 5 percent of people with diabetes are type 1 according to CDC. Type 1 diabetes prevention is not known.

Type 2 diabetes or adult onset diabetes is considered the most common type. Sad part is more and more children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes happens when the cells stop responding properly to insulin and sugar is unable to get from the blood into the cells. The pancreas is not able to make enough insulin to keep blood sugar level normal, making the body less able to regulate it. A lot of people who are diagnose with this type of diabetes will still be able to manage their blood sugar level with the help of proper diet and exercise. Medications are given to those who can’t. Type 2 diabetes is still preventable unlike type 1.