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Asked by to Sarah, Liz, Emilie on 5 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
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Liz Wells answered on 5 Mar 2014:
Hi
Type 1 Diabetes always requires insulin and usually occurs in people under 40 years old. Individuals will have to inject themselves with insulin for life.
Type 2 Diabetes is more common, normally occurring in adults who are overweight or elderly . It can initially be managed byt diet, sometimes requires tablets and if it progresses further may requires injections of insulin too.
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Emilie Combet answered on 6 Mar 2014:
Both types of diabetes are to do with the way our body uses glucose (sugar) which is used by our cells (in muscle for example) for energy.
For glucose to enter the cell, it needs a special hormone, insulin, to give a “signal” to let it inside. This usually happens after a meal, when there is a little bit more glucose in the bloodstream.
With Type 1 diabetes, your body cannot make the insulin at all (or only very little). This is because the pancreas, where insulin comes from, may have been damaged. People with Type 1 diabetes need to inject insulin to make sure glucose can enter their cells, while keeping track of the sugar in their food to avoid their blood glucose to go to high or too low (both are harmful).
With Type 2 diabetes, your body can usually make insulin, but the cells cannot receive the insulin “signal” to let glucose inside very well. People with Type 2 diabetes need to manage their diet carefully to avoid blood glucose to be too high (as this is harmful). Meanwhile, exercise helps to tune the body to better receive the insulin “signal”.
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