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Type 2 Diabetes

How Is Type 2 Diabetes Treated? Everything you Need to Know

Type 2 diabetes is a severe condition that can cause long-lasting health problems. It affects your body's ability to control blood sugar levels and produces excessive insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells use glucose (the primary energy source) in the blood. 


Without enough insulin, cells cannot function properly, and energy is not used correctly or stored by your body. If untreated, type 2 diabetes may lead to many complications, including cardiovascular disease and blindness. 


There are two types of treatment for type 2 diabetes: lifestyle changes (such as diet and exercise) and medication. This article will discuss how these treatments work, how they differ, and which ones would be best for you based on your situation!

Type 2 Diabetes - An Overview 


Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes your body not to produce enough insulin, which is necessary for your cells to use glucose (sugar) as fuel. As a result, blood sugar levels rise, and type 2 diabetes symptoms start leading to health problems like heart disease, stroke, and blindness.


If left untreated, type 2 diabetes can cause many complications, including kidney failure and nerve damage in the legs. The goal of treating type 2 diabetes is to reach and maintain target blood sugar levels while reducing risk factors such as obesity, high cholesterol levels, or high blood pressure.

If Left Untreated, It Can Cause Serious Problems 


If left untreated, diabetes can cause many complications. Diabetes is a disease that affects the way your body uses glucose (sugar). Glucose comes from your food and is carried to cells in your bloodstream. 


The hormone insulin helps move glucose into cells to be used for energy. When insufficient insulin is available to remove excess glucose from the bloodstream, this excess builds up in your body as high blood sugar levels are known as hyperglycemia or hyperglycemic episodes.


When people with Type 2 diabetes have either too much or too little insulin production regularly - what doctors call "insulin resistance" - they're at risk for developing several serious medical problems:


  • Heart disease: People with Type 2 diabetes are more likely than those without it to experience heart attack or stroke due to higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels caused by high blood sugar levels; however, these risk factors don't apply solely because someone has Type 2 rather than just having diabetes
  • Kidney failure: Diabetics are also more likely than those without it to experience kidney failure due to high blood pressure, which can lead to chronic disease and damage kidneys over time. 
  • Nerve damage: If you have diabetes, your nerves are at risk for damage due to high glucose levels.

The Goal of Treatment is to Reach and Maintain Target Blood Sugar Levels 


The goal of type 2 diabetes treatment is to reach and maintain target blood sugar levels. To do this, you will need to monitor your glucose levels regularly. This can be done with a device called a meter or via an outpatient doctor visit.


If your glucose level is high (above 140), there is too much glucose in the bloodstream, and it needs to be lowered as soon as possible. You may also see symptoms like fatigue, nausea, or vomiting if left untreated for too long at high levels.


If your glucose level is low (less than 70 mg/dL), then there is too little carbohydrate in the body, which causes increased insulin secretion. For example: If someone has Type 1 Diabetes, they have no insulin production; therefore, they must inject themselves multiple times per day. 


However, those with Type 2 Diabetes produce some amount but not enough volume nor fast enough rate at which it works for them due to their inability due lack proper cell growth hormone production and lack of activity within muscle cells, including beta cells within the pancreas gland itself. 

Treatment Involves Lifestyle Changes 


A suitable type 2 diabetes diet, regular exercise, and oral medications are all standard treatment options for type 2 diabetes.


  • Healthy food choices: Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins (such as fish or chicken), low-fat dairy products, and a small number of nuts. Limit your intake of saturated fats, trans fats, and added sugars as much as possible.
  • Regular exercise: Include 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity on most days of the week for at least five days per week to help prevent weight gain associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). If you have T2DM but can perform moderate physical activity without difficulty, consider increasing the intensity level so that it becomes more challenging over time—for example, by doing deeper knee bends while walking briskly instead of sitting back comfortably on a chair with arms crossed behind the head.
  • Oral medications: If you have T2DM and cannot control blood glucose levels with lifestyle changes, your doctor may prescribe oral medications. Examples include metformin (Glucophage), pioglitazone (Actos), and glipizide (Glucotrol). 
  • Insulin injections: If you cannot regulate blood glucose levels using other methods, your doctor may recommend insulin injections. This is the last resort because most people dislike needles or being injected. 

Final Words 

The key takeaway from this article is that type 2 diabetes can be treated with a combination of lifestyle changes, medications, and insulin injections. The best way to manage your diabetes is by making positive lifestyle changes and then working on medication as needed.

Dr. Anshuman Kumar
Diabetes Care
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