Type 2 diabetes, if you have not heard about, is a chronic condition that affects the function of glucose in our bodies. Glucose is basically the fuel our cells need in order to function properly. It is a necessity for someone to have energy. We also need insulin which is a hormone that is a pancreatic production that helps glucose enter our cells to produce energy. In this article, we will let you in on all the details you need to know about type 2 diabetes.
Many people face one common problem when it comes to type 2 diabetes. People who suffer from type 2 diabetes cannot use or store glucose because their cells resist it. In other cases, there is not enough glucose in their body. So this results in glucose forming in the bloodstream that obviously leads to health implications that cause grave danger.
There are over 29 million Americans who struggle every day with type 2 diabetes. To make matters worse, there are around 8 million of them who are not even aware that they have it. There is also a great chance of you having type 2 diabetes in case your ancestors have it. Other factors include your age or ethnicity even your level of activeness or if you are overweight.
So what would be the main reason that separates type 1 from type 2 diabetes? Well, type 1 diabetes is actually an auto-immune disease where the body fails to produce insulin. The immune system demolishes the insulin-producing cells present in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes mostly occurs in children, teens, and young adults. People who have this illness are in need of a life-long insulin therapy.
Type 2 diabetes is more common than type 1 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the body's use of insulin decreases or, in other cases the body does not make enough. It’s most common in middle-aged or older adults, there is no rule that says others cannot develop type 2 diabetes. This condition can be treated by controlling your diet, exercise, and medication.
Type 2 diabetes develops if the insulin in the body is not produced as it should or if the pancreas cannot manage to develop the required amount of insulin to guide the glucose out of the bloodstream to flow through the cells. This causes a glucose builds up there in the blood which in turn causes high blood sugar. If the body's insulin cannot be properly used, it is known as insulin resistance which is the main cause for type 2 diabetes. Although unclear, the genetic and lifestyle of the person plays a huge role.
One huge factor would be the gene or genes responsible for insulin resistance. However, this has not been proven by scientists as yet. The lifestyle that you follow is also a contributing factor.
Another factor is the racial group you belong to. African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders are more prone to develop type 2 diabetes than white people.
Your lifestyle is another thing that determines whether or not you would have type 2 diabetes. Being obese and staying inactive is something that triggers your body to have type 32 diabetes. Remaining sedentary, cigarettes, drinking alcohol excessively, and consuming a high-fat, low-fiber, sugar-laden diet all raise risks as well.
Prediabetes also raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This basically means you having higher-than-normal blood glucose levels but not as high as someone with type 2 diabetes.
Women that have gestational diabetes mostly see themselves having a high blood sugar level when they are pregnant and have a high chance of having type 2 diabetes in the future. Mothers need to have a six to 12 week check up after delivering their baby.
Since the symptoms of type 2 diabetes mostly develop slowly, there is a huge chance that you may not be aware that you already have it. However, early signs are increased urination, thirst, and hunger. This abundance of sugar in the blood can later lead to other symptoms like slow-to-heal wounds and frequent infections. This is when you should consult a doctor.
The need to use the bathroom more frequently than usual or producing more urine than in past years is something that a type 2 diabetes person initially goes through. Excessive urination or polyuria takes place when blood sugar levels reach an all-time high. The kidneys need to do extra work in order to filter the excess sugar out of your blood which sometimes comes out in the form of urine.
Excessive thirst aka polydipsia is something that people with type 2 diabetes experience. If your blood glucose is higher than normal, excess sugar goes through your urine along with water. This, in turn, causes you to urinate more than usual. Because of all this extra urination, you lose a lot of water that lead you to become very thirsty, ever more than before.
Increased hunger takes place when the lower level of insulin make the glucose unable to enter your cells. This halts the production of energy causing starvation also called polyphagia.
Blurred vision can be caused by high blood sugar levels as the lens of the eye swell up. This, in turn, causes the visions to blur up. When the levels normalize, the eyesight becomes better again.
Unexplained weight loss is a sheer sign that the cells in your body are not getting glucose for energy. Since there is little sugar, the body tends to burn fat and muscle instead resulting in sudden weight loss.
Fatigue occurs because the fuel does not reach its destination when sugar level goes up. This would result in the deprivation of energy where some people even experience nightmares because of fatigue or low energy.
We all know that yeast and bacteria live off of sugar, so when blood glucose levels reach an unhealthy height, the person would face threats for severe yeast or urinary tract infections.
Slow-healing wounds occur with people having type 2 diabetes as sugary blood is thicker and moves slower than normal. Healing blood and oxygen takes more time to travel and so healing is slowed down.
If you have dry skin, but experience itchy feet, ankles, or legs, this may be a clear sign that you have type 2 diabetes. Fluid loss, nerve damage and poor circulation all lead to dry skin.
Several tests have been devised in order to diagnose diabetes. A simple blood test called hemoglobin A1C also known as glycated hemoglobin test is used to measure the average blood glucose levels of the last three months. The glucose attaches to a protein called hemoglobin in red blood cells, which then get recycled and replenished in a span of 3 months. A normal A1C is below 5.7%. which if higher, is a sign of high blood glucose levels. Prediabetes is about 5.7 to 6.4, while diabetes would amount to about 6.5% or higher.
A fasting plasma glucose test is used to test blood glucose during a single session. Usually, this test is performed in the morning-time before you have your breakfast, after a duration of at least eight hours without food. A normal reading amounts to 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). A reading of 100 to 125 mg/dl means you have prediabetes, and a reading of 126 mg/dl or higher equals a diabetic person.
An oral glucose tolerance test is used to determine the glucose handling of one's body primarily for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes. Blood is sampled after an overnight fast then a special glucose solution is consumed, and your blood will then be tested after two hours. A normal reading is 139 mg/dl or below. A reading of 140 to 199 mg/dl shows signs of prediabetes, while diabetic people show 200 mg/dl or above.
These tests, however, cannot help differentiate between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. But since type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease, using an auto-antibody test might be helpful for doctors to determine if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes can be treated by changing your diet, through exercise, and even medication. The goal is primarily to maintain a normal blood sugar and also to ward off diabetic complications. Some people can control their blood levels through diet and exercise alone while some use oral medicines, insulin, other injectable medications, or some combination of type 2 diabetes med to keep healthy.
Some of the most popular Diabetes treatment are:
Metformin is an oral medication that comes in the form of a pill or liquid that people type 2 diabetes take. Metformin improves your body’s insulin use and even helps in deducting the amount of glucose your liver produces.
Sulfonylureas are pills that stimulate the release of insulin in the pancreas and assist the body to use insulin better. Popular sulfonylureas include glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol), and glyburide (DiaBeta, Micronase, and Glynase).
Meglitinides are a class of medicines that help with the insulin production in the body.
Thiazolidinediones are also called TZDs or glitazones are oral medications that help to lower insulin resistance. Examples are pioglitazone (Actos) and rosiglitazone (Avandia).
Gliptins or DPP-4 inhibitors on the other hand help in releasing insulin into the body. One example is sitagliptin (Januvia).
SGLT2 inhibitors assist kidneys in removing sugar from the body in the urine and examples are canagliflozin (Invokana), dapagliflozin (Farxiga), and empagliflozin (Jardiance).
Insulin therapy is also a common way to treat diabetes. It can be of different types. These treatments differ in the way they start to work, when they peak, and their longevity. Insulin level is maintained using different methods-needle, pen, pump, port, jet injector, an inhaler.
Bariatric surgery or a weight-loss surgery can help the blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight. There are cases where people are diabetes-free after a bariatric surgery.
There is no sure cure when it comes to diabetes. But this chronic condition is controllable, and sometimes symptoms would even end up going for a long period of time. We must take note that type 2 diabetes develops very slowly because the cells in the body resist insulin or the pancreas does not produce the healthy amount. And in the end, there is not enough energy produced resulting in a spike in blood sugar levels.
But even though there is no definite cure, there are ways by which people can normalize their blood sugar, and have control over your blood sugar to help reduce health complications. The heart, blood vessels, nerves, kidneys, brain, eyes, feet, and skin can be deeply affected if type 2 diabetes remains untreated for so long. It can lead to a very serious condition with some even resulting in amputations.
People with type 2 diabetes can benefit a lot from a healthy diet. It really helps one to lose excess weight and control blood sugar. Watching and being mindful of your diet is extremely important for people with type 2 diabetes. A good diet plan is having a plant-based Mediterranean-style of eating, incorporating healthy oils, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans. “Create Your Plate” by the American Diabetes Association is another efficient way of controlling one's diet. It involves having a quarter of non-starchy vegetables, one quarter with protein and one quarter with grains or other starchy foods. It is important to note that carbs are dangerous.
To prevent type 2 diabetes take a little effort that goes a long way. Eat healthily will surely reduce the chances of having a type 2 diabetes–eat more fruits and vegetables, as long as you reduce your intake of sugary drinks and desserts, and your portion.
Lose weight is another effective means to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. If 5% to 7% of your weight is reduced, it means you can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association also suggests aerobic exercise and strength training as something that helps in preventing or reduces chances of having type 2 diabetes.
Actors, athletes, and musicians are at the end of the day also human. So they are not free from the grasp of type 2 diabetes. Famous actor Tom Hanks was diagnosed in 2013 and the reason may be his fluctuating weights he puts on for his movie roles. Celebrity chef Paula Deen announced that she had type 2 diabetes back in 2012. Billie Jean King the tennis star was also diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes in 2007. Randy Jackson is another celebrity to have a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. He had gastric bypass surgery which helped him maintain a healthy blood sugar level.