DIABETES
Type 2 Diabetes
What is Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 Diabetes is a disease that causes you to have too much sugar (glucose) in your blood. When you eat, blood sugar levels rise. Your pancreas (organ in the abdomen) responds by releasing insulin to help your body's cells absorb sugar to make energy for you to use.
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When you have Type 2 Diabetes, your body cannot use insulin the right way and the sugar stays in your blood instead of entering cells to be used for energy. The result of this is high blood sugar.
What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?
When your blood sugar stays too high for too long, it causes Type 2 Diabetes. This happens when your body can't use insulin the right way. Over time, your body cannot make enough insulin anymore.
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
A lot of people do not realize they have Type 2 Diabetes until their doctor orders a screening test. Some people develop symptoms of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) such as frequent urination, feeling very thirsty all the time, being hungrier than usual, losing weight without trying, and having blurred vision.
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You're not likely to get symptoms of low blood sugar unless you take insulin or use certain diabetes medicines that lower blood sugar.
Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes
If your doctor thinks that you have type 2 diabetes, they will order blood tests that measure the amount of sugar in your blood. Often times, Type 2 Diabetes will be found on routine screening blood tests.
Treatment
Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes usually starts off differently than that of Type 1 Diabetes. Most people don't start off needing insulin because their pancreas is still making it. Instead, people with Type 2 Diabetes take medication to allow their body to use the insulin properly to lower their blood sugar. It is very common for people to require more than 1 medication to keep their blood sugars in normal range. Sometimes people with Type 2 Diabetes need to start insulin when medications are not enough to control their blood sugar.
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Diabetes comes with increased risk of many health problems such as heart disease, stroke, vision problems, neuropathies (nerve problems) and kidney disease. This is why it is so important to keep blood sugars within target range.
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Along with medication, you'll have to make some healthy changes to your daily habits. Maintaining a healthy weight, watching what you eat, and engaging in physical activity are all things that can help you control your Type 2 Diabetes.