There are four types of diabetes:

1. Type 1 Diabetes: This is an auto-immune disease (the result of the body’s imunity fighting mechanism turning against the body). In this case the immune system attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. As a result the pancreas is unable to produce insulin and the person must take insulin daily in order to survive.

2. Type 2 Diabetes: This is the most common form of diabetes. In this case the pancreas produces some insulin but the body is unable to ultise the insulin effectively. As a result glucose builds up in the blood and the body is unable to produce energy.

3. Gestational Diabetes: This type of diabetes only affects women during pregnancy. Women with gestational diabetes have plenty of insulin in their body. The problem is that the utilisation of that insulin is blocked by other hormones (such as estrogen, cortisol, and human placental lactogen (HPL) ) that have been produced in the placenta. This condition is known as insulin resistance. This insulin resistance effect ususally begins between weeks 20 and 24 of pregnancy. In most women the pancreas is able to compensate and make more insulin. In some, however, it is unable to compensate and gestational diabetes results. Gestational diabetes disappears after removal of the placenta following delivery.

4. Diabetes Insipidus: Diabetes Insipidus is not related to diabetes mellitus, despite the similar names. In this case the kidneys are unable to conserve water as they go about their function of filtering blood. This is caused by either a lack of antidiuretic hormone or by a failure of the kidneys to respond to antidiuretic hormone.