 them to develop.
People with type one diabetes often have a body mass index or BMI within the healthy range. This is from 19 to 24.9. In contrast, people who develop type two diabetes have a BMI of 25 and over.
The symptoms of type one diabetes also develop very rapidly over time. They will happen over a couple of weeks so it’s important to get on top of them as soon as possible.
The weight loss can be so extreme during this time that it results in hospitalization. In fact, that’s exactly how Nick Jonas found out that he had type one diabetes at the age of thirteen!
The symptoms of type two diabetes can be onset for a much longer period of time before they reach their peak. This can take several years rather than weeks or months.
Diagnosing Type One vs. Type Two Diabetes
The initial tests for type one and two diabetes are the same. These all focus on testing your blood sugar levels. These include:
- Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) tests, which will indicate your blood sugar levels for the last two or three months
- Random blood sugar tests, which can be taken at anytime
- Fasting blood sugar tests, which are taken after you’ve fasted overnight
- Oral glucose tolerance tests, which test how your body responds to sugar after a night fasting
If doctors suspect that you have type one diabetes they will run further tests. This involves testing your urine and testing your immune system. This will reveal whether or not your body is processing glucose properly or not and why.
Monitoring Blood Sugar Levels
After you’ve been diagnosed with either type of diabetes, it’s important to monitor your blood sugar levels regularly. This means that you can always stay on top of your treatment and have time to seek medical help if you need it.
People with type one diabetes need to monitor their blood sugar levels more regularly than people with stable type two diabetes. If you have type one diabetes, you should do this six or seven times a day. If you have had your diabetes under control for a while you may be able to reduce this to four times a day.
If you have type two diabetes which you’ve had control of for a while then you can check your blood sugar levels twice a day.
You may have to check your blood sugar levels more if they are fluctuating.
If you’re unwell, you’ll need to monitor your blood sugar levels more regularly. This is because your condition may be affected by antibodies that your body releases to fight the illness. Children with diabetes also need testing more frequently.
Some people back up their blood sugar monitoring by using an alert dog. These dogs will raise the alarm if they detect blood sugar levels that are too high or too low.
Once you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes it’s important to follow the prescribed treatment plan. This involves a lot more than simply monitoring your blood sugar levels.
Some treatments will be prescribed for both types of diabetes. These include:
- Maintaining a healthy diet
- Exercising for at least thirty minutes every day
People with type one diabetes may need to discuss carbohydrate counting with an experienced dietician. This is so that they avoid ingesting more glucose than their body can handle.
Beyond this, the treatments for each type of diabetes are different depending on the patient’s needs.
Treating Type One Diabetes
Treatment options for type one diabetes all focus on providing your body with the insulin it needs to function properly. This is also known as insulin therapy.
There are a few different types of insulin medication. Some are fast-acting while others offer a slow release of a big dose of insulin. Often people with type one diabetes use a combination of these to suit their day- and night-time needs.
Insulin has to be delivered directly into the bloodstream rather than being ingested. You can either do this using a needle (sometimes known as an insulin pen) or via an insulin pump.
The most recent development in insulin delivery involves an insulin loop or an artificial pancreas. This treatment option is still in the trial phase.
Some people with type one diabetes may also b