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Types of Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes causes the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood to become too high. It happens when your body cannot produce enough of a hormone called insulin, which controls blood glucose. You will need daily injections of insulin to keep your blood glucose levels under control.

Managing type 1 diabetes can take time to get used to, and we aim to help you to do all the things you enjoy.

The cause of T1 diabetes remains unknown, however, there are links if family members have the condition or a certain virus which appears to destroy the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin.


Warning

Undiagnosed or not treating Diabetes can lead to serious complications or in some rare circumstances even death.
 

 

Diabetes Ketoacidosis (DKA)

Diabetes Ketoacidosis (DKA) is a very serious complication of undiagnosed or not correctly treated diabetes. This will occur where there is a complete lack of insulin in the body and will result in very high ketone levels in the blood causing acidosis.  Most often the levels of Blood Glucose rise high (above 11 mmols) and this is a warning that the body has not enough insulin to regulate the blood glucose.

DKA is a dangerous medical emergency and requires hospital admission urgently do not delay seek help call 999.  
 

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes is also caused by problems with the (hormone) called insulin not being effective. It is often linked to being overweight or inactive (not exclusively) or having a family history of type 2 diabetes.  Type 2 diabetes causes the levels of glucose in the blood to become too high.

It happens when your body either does not work well with the insulin you make or if your pancreas does not make enough insulin to meet your needs.

The following guide on the Diabetes UK website is here to help.

It can cause symptoms like excessive thirst, needing to pass lots of urine and tiredness and sometimes affect your weight (loss or gain). It can also increase your risk of getting serious problems with your heart, eyes, kidneys, and nervous system.

Pathways for Diabetes Professionals

 

DIABETES is a lifelong condition that affects your everyday life. If you are diagnosed, you may be encouraged to make some changes to your activity and diet intake. In some cases, a very low-calorie diet can help to resolve the Diabetes and our dietitians will be able to advise you if this is suitable for you. We are unsure of how long this resolution will last but research is ongoing into the effects of low-calorie diets on resolving diabetes. You may also be prescribed new medicines and be called to have check-ups with your General Practitioner (GP) practice or hospital team.
 

Other types of diabetes

  • Gestational Diabetes (Pregnancy)
  • Monogenic (Genetic) or Maturity Onset of Diabetes in Young (MODY)
  • Endocrine disorders that may affect blood glucose regulation for example Thyroid, Pituitary, Ovary, or adrenal glands  
  • Pancreatic insufficiency
  • Cystic Fibrosis related Diabetes

 

For more information on other types of diabetes, visit these links: