Category Archive: Type 2 diabetes
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Managing Type 2 Diabetes: Diabetes Complications
There are certain complications that occur more often in people with type 2 diabetes than in people without this condition. A major problem associated with type 2 diabetes occurs when excess sugar in the blood begins to clog small blood vessels and leads to circulation problems — blood cannot travel freely to where it needs to be.
Poor circulation can lead to tissue damage, eventually contributing to eye disease (diabetic retinopathy), kidney damage (nephropathy), and nerve cell damage (neuropathy). Too much blood glucose can also speed up the process of hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), increasing your risk of developing a heart attack and stroke.
Although your risk of developing complications is affected by some factors that you can’t control — namely, your age, race, and genetic makeup — there are things you can do right now to manage your risk of developing complications from type 2 diabetes. The greatest risk factor, one that almost all type 2 diabetes complications are associated with, is excess sugar in the blood.
You can work to achieve healthy blood sugar levels and significantly decrease your likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes complications by sticking to a healthy diet and exercise regimen, and by properly following any prescribed treatment and medication plans.
If you need help keeping your blood sugar under control, ask your doctor if medication can help.
Managing Type 2 Diabetes: Day-to-Day Control Strategies
Here is a quick list of the key things you can do to keep your blood sugar levels under control.
* Test your blood sugar. Ask your doctor or healthcare professional when and how often to perform a blood sugar test.
* Record your blood tests, medicines, and daily events. Review the record with your doctor or healthcare professional at each office visit.
* Take your medication as prescribed by your doctor or healthcare professional, even if you are feeling well.
* Eat healthy foods. See a dietitian to create a meal plan that is right for you.
* Exercise. If you have not been active, start slowly. Good activities include walking and swimming. Talk to your doctor or healthcare professional about an exercise program that is right for you.
Important Tips:
* Stay at a weight that is right for you. Ask your doctor or healthcare professional what you should weigh.
* Treat low blood sugar symptoms quickly with some form of sugar.
* If you are a smoker, stop. Talk to your type 2 diabetes care team about ways to quit smoking.
* Learn more about type 2 diabetes and type 2 diabetes self-care. Ask your doctor or healthcare professional to suggest a dietitian and a diabetes educator to help you manage your diabetes.
* Seek support from family and friends or join a type 2 diabetes support group. Call your local hospital or health department to find a support group.
* Reward yourself for staying in control. When you know you are doing a good job of sticking to your treatment program, reward yourself by doing something you enjoy!
To manage setbacks:
* Identify your setbacks when it comes to blood sugar control. Decide now how you will handle these events next time. Talk to a healthcare team for ideas.
* If you’ve slipped, admit it and move on. Learn what you can from your experiences.
* Don’t be too hard on yourself. A setback is not the end of the world.
* Seek assistance. Ask for a little help from friends and family or your healthcare team when you are down or need someone to talk to.
Managing Type 2 Diabetes: Treatment
Treatment of type 2 diabetes serves two main purposes. In the short term, it may provide relief from the immediate symptoms of high blood sugar. In the long term, good control of sugar may prevent or delay complications of type 2 diabetes, such as heart disease, kidney disease, and blindness.
Type 2 diabetes may be treated with diet, exercise, and weight loss. This is particularly true for people who have been recently diagnosed. Many people also require oral medications or injected insulin to help control their blood sugar.
The treatment suggested by your doctor or healthcare professional will depend on several factors, including:
* how long you have had type 2 diabetes
* how high your blood glucose levels are
* your overall health
* other medication you may be taking
To help make your treatment work best for you, you will work closely with a team of healthcare professionals. This healthcare team typically consists of your doctor, a dietitian or nutritionist, and nurses, as well as a foot doctor (podiatrist) and eye doctor to check for signs of developing complications. Together, your healthcare team will develop a treatment plan that is right for you.
Along with the care provided by your healthcare team, you can make a difference in the success of your type 2 diabetes treatment plan. You should closely follow your healthcare team’s recommendations for diet, exercise, weight loss, and treatment.
Here are some important things you can do:
* Modify your diet and exercise regimens to carefully follow the recommendations outlined by your doctor or healthcare professional.
* If your doctor or healthcare professional has prescribed medication for your diabetes, always take it as instructed.
* You should monitor your blood sugar as prescribed by your doctor or healthcare professional to see how well you are managing your diabetes.
It is important for you to be an active participant in managing your type 2 diabetes.
Managing Type 2 Diabetes: Diagnosis
When a person is suspected of having type 2 diabetes, there are several different types of blood tests that may be used to diagnose the disease, including the fasting glucose test, the oral glucose tolerance test, and the random glucose test. Of these, the fasting glucose test is the preferred method because it is highly accurate and simple to perform.
This section provides information on commonly used tests to diagnose type 2 diabetes. Only your doctor or healthcare professional can determine if you have type 2 diabetes.
Fasting Glucose Test
Diabetes is most often diagnosed using a fasting glucose test. For this test, you will be asked to go without eating for 10 to 16 hours, usually overnight, before a blood sample is drawn. The test will measure the amount of glucose in your blood. If your glucose level is equal to or greater than 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) on two or more fasting glucose tests performed on different days, you have type 2 diabetes.
This chart shows how the fasting glucose test is interpreted.
| If your fasting glucose level is: | This is what it means: |
| Less than 110 mg/dL | This is a normal fasting glucose level. |
| Less than 110 mg/dL, but you have symptoms of type 2 diabetes
OR Between 110 mg/dL and 126 mg/dL |
Although you do not have type 2 diabetes, these levels may indicate a condition known as impaired fasting glucose. Your healthcare professional may recommend another test to confirm this, usually an oral glucose tolerance test or a glycosylated hemoglobin test. |
| 126 mg/dL or more | You may have type 2 diabetes. Your healthcare professional will repeat the test another day to confirm. |
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
In some instances, an oral glucose tolerance test may be performed to diagnose type 2 diabetes. When taking this test, you will usually be asked to eat a diet that is high in carbohydrates for 3 days. Before the test, you will have to fast for 10 to 16 hours, usually overnight. When you go to the office or laboratory, you will first have a fasting blood sample drawn. You will then be asked to drink a sweet liquid that contains glucose. Samples of your blood will be taken 5 times over a period of 3 hours. Your doctor or healthcare professional will give you specific instructions prior to having a glucose tolerance test.
In a person who does not have type 2 diabetes, the glucose (sugar) levels in the blood will rise and then fall quickly. In someone with type 2 diabetes, blood glucose levels will often rise higher than normal and will not drop as fast. If your blood sugar level is above 200 mg/dL at 2 hours, you may have diabetes. Your doctor or healthcare professional will either repeat the test or perform a fasting glucose test on a different day to confirm the diagnosis.
After an oral glucose tolerance test, if the blood glucose levels are somewhere between those of a person without type 2 diabetes and a person with type 2 diabetes, a person is said to have impaired glucose tolerance. Although people with this condition may not have type 2 diabetes, they are at increased risk of developing it. If you have impaired glucose tolerance, your doctor or healthcare professional may recommend that you lose weight and exercise to help manage your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
This chart shows how the oral glucose tolerance test is interpreted.
| If your glucose level is: | This is what it means: |
| Less than 140 mg/dL at 2 hours | This is normal. |
| Between 140 mg/dL and 200 mg/dL at the end of the test | You may have impaired glucose tolerance. |
| Greater than 200 mg/dL at 2 hours | You may have type 2 diabetes. Your healthcare professional will repeat the test on another day or perform a fasting to confirm. |
Random Glucose Test
When symptoms of diabetes are present, a blood sample that is taken in a non-fasting state (otherwise known as a random blood sample) may be used to test for type 2 diabetes. In this case, a glucose (sugar) level of greater than 200 mg/dL accompanied by symptoms of hyperglycemia suggests a person may have type 2 diabetes. However, the result must be confirmed on another day by performing a fasting glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test.
If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and diet and exercise no longer control your blood sugar, treatments are available that may help you lower your blood sugar levels. One such treatment is Glucophage XR. Ask your doctor or healthcare professional if Glucophage XR is right for you.
Managing Type 2 Diabetes: Risk Factors
Although type 2 diabetes can occur in anyone, you are at greater risk for developing this disorder if you:
* Have a family member who has type 2 diabetes
* Are overweight
* Are over 65 years of age
* Are of African-American, Hispanic/Latino, American-Indian, Asian-American, or Pacific-Islander descent
* Have high blood pressure
* Have very high cholesterol or triglyceride levels
* Are not very physically active (get less than 30 minutes of exercise 3 days a week)
* Are a woman who developed type 2 diabetes while pregnant (a condition called gestational diabetes)
* Are a woman who has experienced an unexplained miscarriage or stillbirth or had babies weighing 9 pounds or more at birth
Take advantage of our interactive type 2 diabetes risk assessment tool.
If you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, there are several things you can do that may manage your risk, such as exercising regularly, eating healthy foods, and watching your weight. Your doctor or healthcare professional can work with you to develop a program that’s right for you.
If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and your doctor or healthcare professional has recommended that you control your blood sugar levels with medication in addition to eating healthy foods and exercising regularly, ask him or her if Glucophage XR is right for you.