• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

CALL TODAY: (561) 434-1935

Ishan Gunawardene

powered by Zocdoc

  • Home
  • Meet the Providers
  • Internal Medicine
  • Family Medicine
  • Contact Us
  • Blog

General

What is the Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes and Who is at Risk?

November 17, 2016

Diabetes is a word that’s often thrown around in conversation or in media coverage due to increasing awareness of this ever-growing disease. The information can be very confusing, as there are different types of diabetes with different causes, symptoms, and risk groups. Diabetes is typically diagnosed as either type 1 or type 2, and they can be quite different.

Here are some key differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes is also called juvenile diabetes due to the fact that most individuals with this disease are diagnosed before the age 20. Type 1 is an autoimmune disorder with no known cause, except for the possibility of being passed down through genetics.

Healthy bodies produce insulin in order to break down glucose from the food we eat and help the body’s cells to absorb it for energy. If you have type 1 diabetes, your body produces cells that create insulin but your body mistakes these cells as foreign bodies and destroys them, preventing you from producing insulin. In these cases, you are not able to absorb the necessary glucose without regular injections of insulin.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type in the United States, and primarily affects individuals over the age of 45, those with high blood pressure or cholesterol, those with 120% or more of the recommended body weight, and those with a family history from a first-degree relative. Type 2 is brought on very slowly and is preventable if changes are made to one’s lifestyle and diet. Pre-diabetes alerts an individual to the oncoming of diabetes type 2 before the level of one’s blood sugar rises above the threshold of type 2. In order to prevent type 2 from occurring, one must recognize the changes they need to make in their diets and in daily activity and make a conscious effort to improve their condition before onset occurs.

Both type 1 and type 2 sufferers experience some of the same symptoms: frequent urination, constant thirst or dry mouth, chronic fatigue, blurred vision, excessive hunger, or sudden unexplained weight loss. Diabetes is a very serious disease and should be managed carefully and diligently. Other than gestational diabetes, which only occurs in pregnant women and resolves on its own most of the time, type 1 and type 2 diabetes are incurable. They must be diligently managed to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and to avoid further complications.

Board-certified internal medicine specialist Dr. Ishan Gunawardene and his wife, Nurse Practitioner Shariffa, have helped many patients living with diabetes enjoy happier, healthier lives. Yes, a diabetes diagnosis may sound scary, but we can help you learn how to manage your diabetes through medication management and lifestyle and dietary changes. For more information on managing your diabetes in Wellington or Royal Palm Beach, request an appointment or call (561) 434-1935 today.

Do you suffer from type 1 or type 2 diabetes? What’s the most difficult thing about living with this disorder you’ve faced so far?

Filed Under: Chronic Pain Tagged With: diabetes, General

Primary Sidebar

March 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Feb    

Categories

  • Accidents & Injuries
  • ADHD
  • Arthritis
  • Asthma
  • Bronchitis
  • Chronic Pain
  • Diabetes
  • Doctor
  • Erectile Dysfunction
  • Family Doctor
  • Family Medicine
  • Flu Season
  • General
  • Headache
  • health and wellness
  • Heart Health
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Hydration
  • Internal Medicine
  • Medicine
  • Migraines
  • Pain Management
  • Primary Care
  • Sexual Dysfunction
  • Sexual Health
  • Stress
  • Thyroid Conditions
  • Vaccination
  • Walk-In Clinic
  • Weight
  • Weight Loss
  • Whiplash

Tags

Advanced Medical Advanced Medical Clinic Arthritis blood pressure Bronchitis cardiology Chronic Pain Coronary Artery Disease diabetes doctor doctor in wellington doctor wellington ED Erectile dysfunction family doctor near me family medicine headaches Heart Disease Heart Health high blood pressure Hypertension hypertension treatment near me Internal Medicine migraines Orthopedics Pain Management PCP primary care primary care doctor in Royal Palm Beach FL primary care doctor in Wellington FL primary care doctor near me primary care near me primary care physician primary care physician near me primary care physician Wellington FL primary care Wellington FL Type 1 type 2 urgent care urgent care in Royal Palm Beach FL urgent care near me walk-in clinic walk-in clinic near me walk-in clinic Wellington FL whiplash treatment near me

Footer

CONTACT US

WELLINGTON OFFICE
3347 STATE ROAD 7 (441)
WELLINGTON, FL 33449
(561) 434-1935

PATIENT EDUCATION

For an A to Z listing of common conditions and treatments available, browse our interactive patient education center.

LEARN MORE

FOLLOW US

  • Home
  • Meet the Providers
  • Internal Medicine
  • Family Medicine
  • Patient Education
  • Request an Appointment
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Accessibility Statement
  • HIPAA Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
Copyright © · Adavanced Medical, PA · All Rights Reserved
iHealthspot Medical Website Design and Medical Marketing by iHealthSpot.com

At Advanced Medical in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, Florida, we offer a high standard of primary and urgent care including internal and family medicine.