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Why You Really Hurt
It All Starts in the foot
by Dr. Burton S. Shuler
  There are two major
types of diabetes.
Type I, or insulin-dependent
diabetes (IDDM), is when
the cells that make
insulin in the pancreas
(beta cells) are totally
destroyed. It is generally
felt that this
destruction of the beta
cells is probably an autoimmune
reaction; which means that
the body's own immune
system turns against the
body and kills these
pancreatic cells that
produce insulin. Because
the beta cells are killed
off, the pancreas then
produces little or no
insulin, with an end result
of an unhealthy buildup
of glucose in the blood.
The person with Type I
Diabetes must have daily
injections of insulin to
live. As of now, science
is not sure why the body
turns on itself to attack
the insulin producing beta
cells, but they think that
both inheritance and
viruses may be the causes.
According to the American
Diabetes Association, Type I
(IDDM) accounts for 5 to 10
percent of diagnosed diabetes
in the United States. It is most
commonly seen in childhood,
thus the term "juvenile-onset", but
it also can occur to age 40 and
above. The typical patient with
Type I is lean as compared with
the more obese patient
in Type II. Symptoms of Type I
usually develops very quickly,
although destruction of the
beta cells may have started
months, or years, before.
Symptoms of Type I includes
increased thirst, urination,
hunger, and weight loss.
Increased tiredness and
blurred vision, are also
symptoms. If the patient is
not diagnosed properly and
treated properly with insulin,
then the patient is exposed to
having all of the complications
of diabetes and being prone to
premature death. Type II, or non-insulin-dependent
diabetes (NIDDM) is by far the
most common type of diabetes.
Ninety to 95 percent of people
with diabetes have NIDDM. Type
II diabetes usually appears in
adults who are 40 and above
and is most common in adults
over 55, that is why it is
also referred to as "adult-onset
diabetes" or "maturity-onset
diabetes". It affects more
women than men. The vast
majority of Type II patients,
about 80%, are overweight.In Type II diabetes, one of
two things normally happens:
1. the pancreas usually
produces insulin, but
for some unknown reason
the body cannot use this
insulin becoming "resistant"
to it, or 2. not enough insulin
is produced by the pancreas.
Regardless, in either case,
the end result is the same:
an abnormal buildup of
glucose in the blood with
a resulting inability of
the body to properly use
its main source of fuel.The symptoms of Type II
Diabetes tend to develop
more slowly and are more
vague and not as clear-cut
as the symptoms in Type I.
The most common symptoms of
Type II include increased
tiredness and or illness,
increased urination at
night, unusual thirst,
unusual weight loss,
blurred vision, increased
infections, and abnormal
healing time of sores.
Treatment can vary from
diet, exercise, weight
loss, to oral drugs that
increase the release
of insulin. In some cases
Type II diabetes can even
be treated with insulin.A third type of diabetes,
called gestational diabetes,
can appear in 3% of women during
pregnancy. Gestational
diabetes usually disappears
once the pregnancy is over.
Those women who do get
gestational diabetes have
a higher than normal risk
of having Type II diabetes
later in life.
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© 1982-2010, Dr. Burton S. Schuler, all rights reserved
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