Learn about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of type 2 diabetes.
What Is Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 Diabetes Overview
Type 2 diabetes, once called non-insulin dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 90% to 95% of the 26 million Americans with diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes in Children
Just a few years ago, it was rare to hear about a child with type 2 diabetes. It used to be thought that if diabetes occurred in childhood, it was type 1, or juvenile-onset, diabetes. Not anymore.
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes can cause serious health complications. That's why is very important to know how to spot type 2 diabetes symptoms.
Causes of Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is a number of diseases that involve problems with the hormone insulin. While not everyone with type 2 diabetes is overweight, obesity and lack of physical activity are two of the most common causes of this form of diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors
Do you have health risk factors for type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 Diabetes Prevention
Type 2 diabetes prevention is possible by adopting some healthy lifestyle habits and paying attention to specific preventable diabetes complications associated with this disease.
A Healthy Type 2 Diabetes Diet
Maintaining a healthy diet is important for everyone, but it is especially important for people with diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes and Exercise
Exercise is very important in managing type 2 diabetes. Combining diet, exercise, and medicine (when prescribed) can help control your weight and blood sugar level.
Before You Exercise with Diabetes
Check this list before you implement your exercise plan.
Diagnosis and Tests
Type 2 Diabetes Screening
Type 2 diabetes is a common and serious disease in the United States and worldwide. However, it’s thought that one-third of those with type 2 diabetes are unaware that they have this serious illness.
Diabetes Testing
If you experience symptoms of severe increased thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, increased hunger, tingling of your hands or feet -- your doctor may run a test for diabetes.
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
Though not routinely used anymore, the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is the gold standard for making the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
The Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Test for Diabetes
The hemoglobin A1c test -- also called HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin test, or glycohemoglobin -- is an important blood test used to determine how well your diabetes is being controlled.
Treatments
Weight Loss Surgery and Type 2 Diabetes
Increasingly, weight loss surgery is being used as a tool to manage type 2 diabetes. That's because controlling diabetes and managing the related health risks is directly related to losing weight.
Natural Remedies for Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes treatment can include many elements, including traditional medications, alternative medicine, and natural remedies.
Non-Insulin Diabetes Injectables
Today, metformin is the first drug doctors usually recommend for people with type 2 diabetes who need to take medication.
Oral Diabetes Medications
Oral diabetes medications -- diabetes pills -- help control blood sugar levels in people whose bodies still produce some insulin (the majority of people with type 2 diabetes).
Your Diabetes Care Team
If you have diabetes, you likely have a care team that includes a primary care doctor, dietitian, diabetes educator, eye doctor, foot doctor, dentist, and possibly an exercise trainer.
Insulin
Diabetes Treatment With Insulin
When used as a medication, it is derived from either pork (porcine), beef (no longer available in the U.S.), or is genetically made to be identical to human insulin.
Inhaled Insulin
Inhaled insulin is another option that’s been considered. Although it’s possible to make inhaled insulin, there are no inhaled insulin drugs on the market.
Giving Yourself an Insulin Shot for Diabetes
For those with diabetes, an insulin shot delivers medicine into your subcutaneous tissue -- the tissue between your skin and muscle.
Diabetic Shock and Insulin Reactions
The symptoms of diabetic shock may seem mild at first. But they should not be ignored.
Type 2 Diabetes and the Insulin Pump
If you have type 2 diabetes and take insulin, you may want to ask your doctor about the insulin pump.
Complications
Type 2 Diabetes and Sleep
People who have diabetes often have poor sleep habits, including difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
Diabetic Coma in Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetic coma -- also known as hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome -- is a serious complication that can happen to a person with diabetes who is ill or whose body is stressed.
Diabetes, Insulin Overdose, and Other Complications
Cold sweats, trembling hands, intense anxiety, a general sense of confusion -- no, it's not the night before final exams. These are the signs of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.
Diabetes and Heart Disease
If you have diabetes, it's important to understand your heart disease risk and what you can do to lower it.
Stroke and Diabetes
If you have diabetes, it’s important to understand your increased risk of stroke.
Diabetes and Infection
Diabetes can slow down your body's ability to fight infection. High blood sugar (glucose) leads to high levels of sugar in your body's tissues, allowing bacteria to grow and infections to develop more quickly.
Diabetic Nephropathy
Diabetic nephropathy -- kidney disease that results from diabetes -- is the number one cause of kidney failure. Almost a third of people with diabetes develop diabetic nephropathy.
Diabetes and Inflammation
Inactivity and obestiy increase the risk for diabetes, but exactly how is unclear. Recent research suggests that inflammation inside the body plays a role in the development of type 2 diabetes.
6 Tips To Get Your Diabetes Under Control.
Living well with type 2 diabetes means making certain precautions part of your routine, says Amy Campbell, MS, RD, CDE, manager of clinical education programs at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. She offers this advice.
Make a date with a dietitian. "It's a myth that there's a one-size-fits-all diabetes diet," Campbell says. A dietitian can help you develop an eating plan that's right for your age, weight, activity level, and medications, and can also set daily calorie and carbohydrate targets. You'll probably meet several times at first; after that, once a year.
Check your feet daily. High blood sugar levels can damage nerves in your feet, leaving you unable to feel cuts, blisters, and other injuries. High blood sugar also increases your risk of infection, allowing a simple blister to develop into a grave problem in a matter of days. Amputation is a real danger, Campbell says. Can't reach your feet? Ask a family member or friend to give them a daily once-over, or use a mirror. Call your doctor immediately if you spot redness, cuts, blisters, or swelling.
Keep moving. People with type 2 diabetes are often insulin resistant, meaning their bodies don't use insulin properly and they need extra insulin to allow their cells to take in sugar from their blood.Exercise appears to increase insulin sensitivity, improving glucose uptake to your body's cells.
Aim to be active 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week. Any activity that raises your heart rate enough to make it slightly difficult to talk (brisk walking, taking the stairs, vacuuming vigorously) counts toward your daily total. The benefits are real: Shed just 5% to 10% of your body weight to dramatically improve glucose control, Campbell says.
See clearly. Make an annual appointment for a dilated-eye exam with an ophthalmologist or an optometrist experienced in treating people with diabetes. Dilation allows the doctor to look for diseases such as retinopathy, one of the most common complications of diabetes. "'It used to spell blindness for people, but we now have laser surgery and other ways to prevent it," Campbell says.
Take your best shot. Get a flu shot every fall. People with diabetes are prone to complications if they get the flu. "They're more likely to be hospitalized for the flu than people who aren't diabetic," Campbell says. The flu can also cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket, which may trigger severe complications and slow healing. For added protection, Campbell recommends a pneumonia vaccine. Ask your doctor if you should get one.
Quit smoking . Smoking is especially harmful for people with type 2 diabetes. Smoking appears to increase insulin resistance and also causes blood vessels to narrow, limiting circulation to your legs and feet. Your doctor can help you make a plan to quit.
Know Your Type 2 Numbers
In addition to recording daily blood sugar levels, be sure to track other numbers, which tell you how well your treatment plan is working.
A1C This number measures your average blood glucose level over the previous two to three months. Aim for a number under 7%, and have your A1C tested at least twice a year.
Lipid levels Your cholesterol and triglyceride numbers offer valuable insights into heart health, which is critical because type 2 diabetes increases heart disease risk. Your target numbers and how often you should have these tests vary depending on your individual risk, so ask your doctor.
Blood pressure High blood pressure (a reading of 140/90 or higher) often goes hand-in-hand with diabetes and increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes complications. Have your blood pressure checked each time you visit the doctor.
Microalbumin This test checks for small amounts of protein in the urine, which is important for gauging kidney health. If caught early, kidney disease can be controlled by keeping A1C, blood sugar, and blood pressure in their target ranges.
Expert Tip
"Sugar-free foods aren't necessarily better. They're often made with sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol and mannitol, which have a laxativeeffect in some people." -- Amy Campbell, MS, RD, CDE.
Reference: www.webmd.com
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