Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin produced. This is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels by bringing glucose from the blood into cells to create energy. Currently diabetes is divided into many types, the most common are types 1, 2 and gestational diabetes. So among these, which type of diabetes is the most severe?
There is no type of diabetes that is the most severe
Although the end result is high blood sugar, each type of diabetes has a different pathogenesis, so the characteristics will also be different. No matter what type of diabetes is dangerous, in each case, the patient must face certain risks.
If you are worried about which type of diabetes is the most severe, let’s find out the worrying problems that can be encountered in each type!
Is type 1 diabetes severe or mild?
Type 1 diabetes is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes. The disease begins in children or adolescents. The body does not produce enough insulin, so the patient must inject insulin every day.
Severe symptoms
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes occur suddenly and are severe from the beginning. These include:
- Very thirsty
- Frequent urination
- Blurred vision
- Tired
- Weight loss
- In more severe cases, the patient becomes lethargic, dehydrated, has abdominal pain, vomiting, and ketoacidosis.
Cannot be prevented
Currently, there is no way to limit the risk or prevent type 1 diabetes. Therefore, if you wonder which type of diabetes is the most severe, it cannot be said that type 1 diabetes is the most severe, but this is also one of the points. worrying about this disease.
Complications are life-threatening
A serious complication that occurs due to blood sugar rising too high, which can be life-threatening and often occurs in people with type 1 diabetes, is ketoacidosis.
When cells are starved for energy due to lack of sugar (glucose), the body begins to break down fat to replace sugar. This creates toxic ketones. They accumulate in the blood and cause symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach-ache
- Breath smells fruity
- Short of breath
- Dry mouth
- Weak and tired
- Confusion
- Comatose
- There are ketones in urine and blood
Reduce life expectancy
It is difficult to say which is more severe, type 1 or type 2 diabetes . However, in terms of life expectancy, according to 2010 statistics in the UK, people with type 1 diabetes have a shorter life expectancy than type 2, reduced by more than 20 years. Currently, with advances in treatment, patient life expectancy is increasingly improving.
Type 2 diabetes is severe or mild and the patient’s concerns
Type 2 diabetes , also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes, occurs because the body does not use insulin effectively, leading to high blood sugar if left untreated. The disease often begins over the age of 40 but is gradually becoming more common in young people.
High incidence of disease
Over the past 20 years, the number of adults with diabetes has more than doubled. Among them, about 90-95% of patients are type 2. The number of people with the disease does not indicate which type of diabetes is the most severe, but it is also a factor worth pondering.
Diagnosis when there are complications
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes are usually mild. Initially, the patient did not even have any unusual symptoms for many years. Many people also want to ask which type of diabetes is the most severe with the belief that because the symptoms are usually milder, type 2 diabetes will be milder. However, because the signs of the disease are not clear, most of them are often diagnosed when there are complications.
Over time, type 2 diabetes can cause serious damage to the body, especially the heart, brain, kidneys, eyes, nerves and blood vessels.
Acute complications are worrying
A complication that requires immediate treatment that often occurs in patients with type 2 diabetes is hyperosmolar syndrome . In addition, people with type 2 diabetes can also suffer from ketoacidosis. Blood sugar increases too high, causing the body to become dehydrated, thereby causing the blood to become concentrated. This condition causes life-threatening symptoms including:
- Blood sugar above 600 mg/dL (33.3 mmol/L)
- Dry mouth
- Extreme thirst
- Fever
- Asleep
- Confusion
- Loss of vision
- Illusion.
- If not treated promptly, it can be life-threatening.
Reduce life expectancy
According to statistics on type 2 diabetes in the UK, patients can lose up to 5-10 years of life expectancy.
However, compared to type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is preventable by minimizing risk factors for the disease, including being overweight, inactive, and unhealthy diet. When detected and treated early, we can live peacefully with the disease and the patient can still live a healthy life.
Complications of gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women and is a condition in which blood sugar levels are elevated above normal levels but not yet at the level of diabetes. Diabetes at this time puts the mother at high risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
Complications in the baby due to gestational diabetes can include:
- Excessive weight before birth leads to difficult births and often requires surgery
- Abnormalities of organs such as lungs, heart defects, etc.
- Hypoglycemia immediately after birth
- Death before or shortly after birth
- Increased rates of childhood obesity or increased rates of diabetes later in life
Complications for the mother are:
- Preeclampsia
- Gestational diabetes in subsequent pregnancies.
Mothers and babies also have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes throughout their lives.
Which type of diabetes is the most severe? Is it type 3 diabetes?
A small number of people with type 3c diabetes are also worried and concerned about which type of diabetes is the most severe. Type 3c diabetes occurs when the pancreas is damaged (due to chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, pancreatectomy), affecting its ability to produce insulin.
It’s also not true that type 3c diabetes is the most severe, even though its causes seem serious. These causes, effectiveness of disease control, age at diagnosis, underlying disease, complications, etc. will affect the patient’s prognosis. Therefore, whether the disease is dangerous and what risks it poses is very different for each patient.
