. A person with Type 1 must administer himself injections on a daily basis to survive. Type 1 accounts for 5 to 10 percent of the diagnosed diabetes in the United States. (NIDDK) It develops most often in children and young adults, but the disorder can appear at any age. The symptoms are noticed over a short period of time. The symptoms include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme tiredness. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person can lapse into a life-threatening coma.The most common form of diabetes is Type 2. It is known as noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Ninety to ninety-five percent of the people with diabetes have Type 2. Type 2 usually develops in adults over the age of 40 and is most common in adults over the age of 55. (NIDDK) About 80 percent of the people with Type 2 are overweight. In Type 2, the body produces insulin, but the body can not use the insulin effectively ending up with a build up of glucose in the bloodstream. The symptoms of Type 2 are not as noticeable as in Type 1. The symptoms include feeling tired or ill, frequent urination (especially at night), unusual thirst, weight loss, blurred vision, frequent infections, and slow healing of sores. The third type of diabetes is gestational diabetes. It develops or is discovered during pregnancy. After the development of a child, it will disappear. Women who have gestational diabetes have a greater risk to receive Type 2 later in life. Diabetes is not contagious. It can not be contracted from someone else, but there are factors that can increase the chances of getting it. People who have families with it (especially Type 2), who are overweight, or who are African American, Hispanic, or Native American. Type 1 occurs equally in men and women, but is more common in whites than nonwhites. Type 1 is rare in Asian, African, and American Indian populations, but in northern European...
