What Is Type 3 Disease?
Lately, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is being labeled as Type 3 Diabetes. It is because there has been a discovery of lower insulin levels, the main cause of diabetes, in Alzheimer’s patients. For a long time, people have believed that if you are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it is just by chance. However, recent studies suggest otherwise. It was found that patients had low levels of insulin in their brains. A lower insulin is the main cause of diabetes. Due to this, Alzheimer’s is being called as Type 3 Diabetes.
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Most people are familiar with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease while Type 2 is caused by insulin resistance. The Type 3 Diabetes is also called Type 1.5 because the causes lie between Type 1 and 2. Some doctors call AD Type 3 Diabetes because research suggests that people with AD are not able to take enough glucose to their brains. They may have plenty of glucose in their bloodstreams, but it can’t reach the brain. This is called the blood-brain barrier. Some evidence suggests that nasal insulin can help with AD. Inhaled insulin can get into the brain without passing the blood-brain barrier.
Let’s take a look at the symptoms and treatment methods for Type 3 Diabetes.
#1. Symptoms of Type 3 Diabetes
Type 3 Diabetes attacks the brain. If someone has any major problems with the brain, it would make you think they have Alzheimer’s. It might be Type 3 Diabetes. When a person suffers from Type 3 Diabetes, their brain is not able to form new memories. The symptoms of type 3 diabetes mimic the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Memory loss and confusion, which is typical for both the diseases are some of the common symptoms that a person with type 3 diabetes would suffer. The most common symptom of type 3 diabetes is memory loss, especially; the loss of recently learned information. Then comes the problem with writing or speaking. People with Type 3 Diabetes have problems with speaking or writing and somewhere in between they will stop and will have no further idea about what to do next. They feel it challenging to solve the problems with numbers. These people find it really difficult to follow any plan or work with numbers. Sometimes doctors have difficulty in diagnosing Type 3 Diabetes. Unless they use MRI and specifically look for symptoms of the disease, Type 3 diabetes remains undiagnosed.
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#2. Treatment for Type 3 Diabetes
All this may sound alarming but there is good news! The risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease is cut to half, if a person adopts certain changes to their lifestyle. These include changes in diet and physical activity. Controlling your diabetes with medicine and changing your lifestyle may help reduce the risk of developing any form of AD. Consider this as a wakeup call and take steps to protect your brain and body from the harmful effects of diabetes. Here’s how:
#. Regular exercise: Start exercising regularly. Aerobic exercises help your body to use insulin in a better way. This is why the American Diabetes Association recommends doing 30 minutes of exercise at least five times per week and indulge in strength-training at least twice per week.
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#. A Healthy Diet: Consuming nutritious food and avoiding harmful foods will help you in controlling your blood sugar levels and thus, prevent the disease from getting severe.
#. Maintain Blood Sugar Levels: Visit your doctor regularly and take the medications as advised. Follow the diet that is suggested by them so that your blood sugar levels remain at normal levels. This will help in maintaining your weight and lead to a healthy heart.
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