Type 2 Diabetes: Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

What Is Type 2 Diabetes:

what is type 2 diabetes

Some diabetes risk factors can be managed or reduced (known as modifiable lifestyle factors), while other factors cannot be changed. More than 95% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes was formerly called non-insulin dependent, or adult onset. Until recently, this type of diabetes was seen only in adults but it is now also occurring increasingly frequently in children. Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) should have lifelong testing at least every three years. For all other patients, testing should begin at age 45 years, and if results are normal, patients should be tested at a minimum of every 3-years.

People who have prediabetes are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. In the United States, about 98 million adults’more than 1 in 3’have prediabetes. With prediabetes, blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Prediabetes raises your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. If you have prediabetes, a CDC-recognized lifestyle change program can help you take healthy steps to reverse it.

Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS) is a life-threatening complication of Type 2 diabetes. HHS happens when your blood sugar levels are too high for a long period, leading to severe dehydration and confusion. On average, people diagnosed with diabetes spend image source about 2.3 times more on medical care than those who don’t have the condition. Their medical expenses average about $16,750 a year, $9,600 of which is due directly to diabetes. You may be able to reach your target blood sugar levels with diet and exercise alone.

what is type 2 diabetes

If you do, it’s because your pancreas isn’t making enough insulin on its own, and it’s crucial that you take insulin as directed. There are other prescription medications that may help as well. Eventually, your pancreas may not be able to produce any insulin. Women with gestational diabetes often have no symptoms, which is why it’s important for at-risk women to be tested at the proper time during pregnancy. However, some people with type 2 diabetes have symptoms so mild that they go unnoticed.

About 38 million Americans have diabetes (about 1 in 10), and approximately 90-95% of them have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes most often develops in people over age 45, but more and more children, teens, and young adults are also developing it. Yet research shows that members of minority groups are less likely to use newer diabetes over here medications, regardless of their income or whether they have health insurance. And no matter what their ethnicity, people with lower incomes were less likely to take these medications. Across all races and ethnicities with diabetes, about 15% live in poverty, 19% have difficulties accessing food, and 51% have low-quality diets.

High levels of glucose in your eyes can cause the lens in your eyes to swell and distort your vision. Over time, elevated glucose levels can also damage your retina and the nerves that play a key role in your vision. Type 2 diabetes used to be known as adult-onset diabetes, but both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can begin during childhood and adulthood. But the increase in the number of children with obesity has led to more cases of type 2 diabetes in younger people. Almost one million people in Australia have type 2 diabetes. Find out about management of type 2 diabetes, including tests & monitoring.

The most common tests are the A1C test and the plasma glucose test. There’s no cure but some people with type 2 diabetes can put their diabetes into’remission. There are many reasons type 2 diabetes develops but it mostly affects people over 25 often with a family history. Type 2 diabetes can go undiagnosed for years if you don’t have symptoms or your symptoms are missed. Intermittent fasting is increasing in popularity as a way to lose weight and assist in managing pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes and type 1 diabetes.

All these things also reduce your risk of developing other diseases. A long-term health condition can take a toll on your mental health. People internet with diabetes are more than twice as likely to have depression, and 20% more likely to have anxiety, than those without the condition.

In later stages of the condition, your body may also not produce enough insulin. Insulin resistance happens when cells in your muscles, fat and liver don’t respond as they should to insulin. Insulin is a hormone your pancreas makes that’s essential for life and regulating blood sugar levels. Untreated diabetes tends to cause worsening symptoms over time as chronically high blood sugar levels cause more damage to your tissues and organs.

A dietitian or your doctor will be able to advise you on what to eat to meet your nutritional needs and control your blood sugar. Your doctor should be able to refer you to a registered dietitian for personalised advice. Type 2 diabetes is managed by lifestyle changes first, but often medicines will be needed as well. It also involves learning to control and monitor your diabetes with the help of your doctor.

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