We all know about diabetes and a good majority of us (I hope) will know that there are different types of this disease. Type One and Type Two diabetes are similar illnesses but they have their own causes and their own treatment methods, even though the symptoms are more or less the same. It’s now becoming clear that the two disorders can be suffered at the same time, leading to a new condition which has been dubbed “Double Diabetes”.
Type one Diabetes is generally found early in life and is a kind of autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Very little is known as to why this happens but the affect is a growing blood sugar level, as the glucose in the blood stream isn’t processed and used by the cells in the body. Type one diabetics need regular doses of insulin to maintain their wellness.
Type two diabetes is a disease which can be avoided through exercise, proper diet and staying healthy. It occurs when the body becomes resistant to the insulin produced by the pancreas, making it harder to deal with blood sugar. The pancreas tries to deal with this by producing more insulin and can easily burn itself out.
It’s now become clear that type one diabetics can contract type two diabetes, making them double diabetics. This occurs when their bodies develop resistance to the insulin that they’re taking. Obesity is the highest risk factor for this double whammy disease and doctors hypothesise that it’s most commonly caused when type one diabetics take insulin but don’t make any other lifestyle changes and as such leave themselves open to getting type two diabetes. It’s a real issue as the only way to live a long and happy life while suffering from diabetes is by learning to deal with and control the condition, letting it get out of hand can have terrible and potentially fatal consequences.
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