Understanding Diabetes Type 2 (T2D): Causes, Symptoms, and Management

What is it?

Diabetes is a disease characterized by a high level of sugar in the blood.
Sugar is in everything we eat, and every cell in our body needs it for energy. When we eat sugar, it moves from the digestive tract to the bloodstream. In order to get from the blood into the cells it needs a key- this key is insulin.
If you have type 2 diabetes, either your body can’t use the insulin it makes as well as it should, or it doesn’t make enough of it. Usually it is a combination of the two. Because the sugar does not enter the cells, it remains in your bloodstream and causes high blood sugar levels.
Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.

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Additional names

This group contains additional names:
- Brittle diabetes mellitus

Signs & symptoms

Type 2 diabetes rarely causes any symptoms.
Some will experience frequent urination (an urgency to pee), intense thirst and weight loss.
Later signs may include vision changes, burn sensation in your palms and feet and tiredness.

Diagnosis

You doctor will measure your blood sugar levels in one or more of the following tests:
A1C test, Fasting blood sugar test, glucose tolerance test or random blood sugar test.
If a diagnosis is made, your doctor may want to order further blood and urine tests, to check for diabetes complications.

Treatment

the first thing your doctor will recommend is lifestyle changes – try to add more physical activity into your day, eat healthier, and reduce smoking.
These changes can prevent diabetes, improve your blood sugar levels and help you control the disease and its complications.
In addition, there are several types of medications to treat diabetes:
- pills that helps your body produce more insulin or make insulin do its job better.
- injectables insulin – long or short acting
You doctor will ask you to check you blood sugar levels regularly at home

☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.

Learn more about our editorial process for content accuracy.

Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:

National Institution of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ University of Illinois hospital