When talking about diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes are very well known. So well known that many think of them as the only types of diabetes in existence.
Contrary to the ongoing there are only two types of diabetes assumption, there are actually other types of diabetes, beyond the well known Type 1 and Type 2.
Here’s a look at two of the rarer, not so often encountered variations of the dreaded disease.
Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM)
Known as a monogenic form of diabetes, neonatal diabetes mellitus is often found in infants below nine months old, with symptoms similar to that of Type 1 diabetes cases.
Type 1 Diabetes is linked with the body’s inability to produce insulin, which leads to different symptoms like excessive thirst and urination, fatigue and irritability. NDM cases boast similar symptoms, and it is highly advisable that any child under 9 months who is diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes should undergo further screening for NDM, to verify if the child in question has Type 1 Diabetes or NDM.
Treatable with orally introduced medications (sulfonylurea), NDM cases have to be properly identified before any permanent damage is done on a baby’s constitution. Cases of erroneous diagnosis have lead to daily insulin injections for the remainder of a child’s life, when an orally introduced medication would’ve sufficed as treatment.
Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY)
As its name would already imply, maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) happens when adolescents are afflicted with diabetes-related conditions which typically occur at later ages in life.
It is often identified as a gene mutation which debilitates the body’s capacity to produce insulin, and is also the most genetically predisposed form of diabetes. Parents suffering from MODY have a 50% chance of passing the condition to their children, and its occurrence is so mild that blood tests can’t exactly determine their presence.
Generally speaking, insulin injections aren’t necessary for MODY case treatments, with oral medications available in maintaining the disease.
The abovementioned types aren’t the only two other variations of diabetes, apart from Type 1 and Type 2. They are more, and the two mentioned above are simply among the different diabetes forms to watch out for as earliest as possible.
