Type Two Diabetes

India is home to the second largest number of adults living with diabetes nearly 69.2 million people with diabetes,not just that millions of people have impaired glucose tolerance and are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future.

Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can be a frightening and overwhelming experience, as it impacts your long-term health, and everyday life.

For most people, the first few months after being diagnosed are filled with emotional highs and lows. If you have just been diagnosed with diabetes, you and your family should use this time to learn as much as possible so that caring for your diabetes including testing your blood sugar, going to medical appointments, and taking your medications becomes a part of your daily routine.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a disorder that disrupts the way your body uses glucose (sugar).

Also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes or “adult-onset” diabetes is the most common type of diabetes seen.
It more commonly seen in individuals of 35 years and above.
Type 2 diabetes develops over a long period of time (years) and many people with type 2 diabetes display no symptoms in the initial years.

What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?

All the cells in your body need sugar to work normally. Sugar gets into the cells with the help of a hormone called insulin. If there is not enough insulin, or if the body stops responding to insulin, sugar builds up in the blood. This is what happens to people with diabetes mellitus. In type 2 diabetes, the problem is that:

The body's cells do not respond to insulin.
The body does not make enough insulin.
Or both.

Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes usually causes no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they include:

The need to urinate often.
Intense thirst.
Blurry vision.

It Can Lead To Complications

Even though type 2 diabetes might not make you feel sick, it can cause serious problems over time, if it is not treated. The disorder can lead to:

Heart attacks.
Strokes.
Kidney disease.
Vision problems (or even blindness).
Pain or loss of feeling in the hands and feet.
The need to have fingers, toes, or other body parts removed (amputated).

To find out if you have type 2 diabetes, your doctor can do a blood test to measure the amount of sugar in your blood.

Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

There are a few medicines that help control blood sugar. Some people need to take pills that help the body make more insulin or that help insulin do its job. Others need insulin shots.

Sometimes, people with type 2 diabetes also need medicines to reduce the problems caused by the disease. For instance, medicines used to lower blood pressure can reduce the chances of a heart attack or stroke.

Medicines are not the only tool to manage diabetes. Being active, losing weight, eating right, and not smoking can all help people with diabetes stay as healthy as possible.

Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

To reduce your chances of getting type 2 diabetes, the most important thing you can do is control your weight. If you already have the disorder, losing weight can improve your health and blood sugar control. Being active can also help prevent or control the disorder.

Losing weight (if they are overweight).
Being active.
Improving the way they eat.
Taking certain medicines .

Quitting smoking lowers your risk of stroke, heart disease, and lots of other problems.

What Increases My Risk For Type 2 Diabetes?

There are a few factors that can increase your risk of diabetes, including:

Being overweight or obese, especially if you carry your extra weight in your belly (as opposed to in your hips, thighs, and butt).
Not doing enough physical activity.
Smoking.
Having a family history of diabetes.
Having diabetes during pregnancy, called "gestational diabetes" (if you are a woman).

Quitting smoking lowers your risk of stroke, heart disease, and lots of other problems.

Fasting glucose test – This test measures your blood sugar when you have not had anything to eat or drink (except water) for 8 hours. People with pre-diabetes have a fasting glucose between 100 and 125.
Glucose tolerance test – For this test you do not eat or drink anything for 8 to 12 hours. But then, as part of the test, you have a sugary drink. Two hours later, a doctor or nurse takes a blood sample to see how high your blood sugar got. People with prediabetes have glucose tolerance results between 140 and 199.
Hemoglobin A1C test (also called HbA1C or A1C) – For this test it does not matter whether you eat beforehand. It is a blood test that shows what your average blood sugar level has been for the past 2 to 3 months. People with pre-diabetes have A1C levels between 5.7 and 6.4.