What Is Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed if your body is not producing enough insulin or not producing any insulin at all. If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, this means the sugar you consume is not properly processed into glucose, which is burned for energy.
Since the sugar is not processed and then burned, it will begin to build up in your body. This can lead to many different symptoms and complications. There is currently no cure for type 2 diabetes. However, there are many different things you can do to maintain proper blood sugar levels.
In order to maintain your type 2 diabetes, you will need to use a glucose meter to take regular blood sugar readings. With these meters, you will be given an accurate blood sugar reading to base your treatment on. You should monitor at which times every day your blood sugar rises and falls in order to develop an appropriate, diet, exercise, and medical plan.
Blood sugar always rises after you have eaten, but with a proper diet and medicine regimen, it should return to normal after two hours. You should take your blood sugar often. If your blood sugar rises and stays too high for an extended period, you will be at risk for serious complications.
There are many indicators that could make your doctor suspect you have type 2 diabetes. If you are experiencing frequent urination, excessive thirst, or uncontrollable hunger, these could be signs of type 2 diabetes. As the sugar builds up in your body, you will need more water to dissolve the sugar and you will pass it more often.
If you feel like you are more hungry than usual, especially before bed, this can be because your sugar is actually dropping too low. If you have type two diabetes, your body will fight to produce enough insulin and doesn't stop once your glucose level is normal. You may also experience dizziness if your sugar is dropping too low.
There are many benefits of diet and exercise if you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. High and low blood sugar are both directly related to the sugar or carbohydrates you consume. If you will set up a diet plan and monitor your food intake, you can often keep your blood glucose at a safe level.
This will often take a bit of trial and error on your part, in most cases. Most dietitians can help you set up a diet plan specifically for your stage of type 2 diabetes. Exercise uses up the glucose you have processed. This can lower your glucose level and force your body to process more sugar into glucose.
However, you will have to use caution with exercise if you have taken a insulin dose. You may think that maintaining your diabetes is a hassle. However, there are many complications that can occur with type 2 diabetes. If your glucose levels swing wildly between high and low, you can have complications with your heart, kidneys, or even your eyes.
Statistically 2 in 3 type two diabetes patients die from a stroke or from heart disease. If your blood glucose is constantly too high, your kidneys can become overworked and begin to fail.
This can result in complete kidney failure and you could require a kidney transplant. If you have type 2 diabetes, you will be 40% more likely to develop Glaucoma and 60% more likely to have cataracts. However, with proper maintenance and treatment you can keep these complications at bay.
Related topics about Type 2 Diabetes
Blood Sugar
Blood sugar levels measure how well your body is using glucose. Glucose is the sugar that supplies the chief amount of energy for cells. After you eat, your blood glucose begins to rise.
Gestational Diabetes
The signs and symptoms of gestational diabetes are hunger, thirst, fatigue, and frequent urination. However, many of these symptoms are commons with pregnancy. Therefore, nearly all pregnant women submit to a glucose screening between 24-28 weeks of the pregnancy.
Hyperglycemia
Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia are very common when compared to other conditions. Most often, if you have high blood sugar you will experience a frequent need to urinate, excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, or outrageous hunger, even after you have just eaten. A frequent need to urinate and excessive thirst are often a result of your blood sugar being too high for a very long time.