Difference Between Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a disease that causes too much glucose to be present in the bloodstream. There are two main types of diabetes, known as Type 1 and Type 2, and a few tips can help you distinguish between them.

Age of Onset

• People usually develop Type 1 diabetes when they are a child or a teenager, while Type 2 diabetes occurs more frequently in adults.

Causes

• A defect in your pancreas, brought on by attacks from your immune system that make you unable to produce insulin, causes Type 1 diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, occurs when your body's cells become unresponsive to insulin, causing a buildup of glucose that your pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to counteract.

Prevention

• Type 1 diabetes is a genetic disorder that you cannot prevent. However, you can avoid Type 2 diabetes through an active lifestyle and maintaining a healthy weight.

Insulin Dependence

• Type 1 diabetics require insulin injections or pumps for their entire lives. Some Type 2 diabetics manage their disease with diet or oral medication, rather than insulin.

Transplants

• Some Type 1 diabetics benefit from pancreas transplants. This is ineffective with Type 2 diabetics, because the cells of your body--not your pancreas--are mostly to blame.