Information on Type 2 Diabetes

Information on Type 2 Diabetes is essential for one to recognize the symptoms early and to take the necessary steps for treating diabetes type 2. Diabetes means your blood sugar is high. Your blood always contains some sugar in it because the body needs sugar for energy to keep you going. But too much sugar in the body is not good for you. Diabetes is a long-lasting chronic disease that can lead to many difficult health problems. Heart disease, kidney disease, blindness and amputation are some of the many complications of Diabetes. The formal name is Diabetes Mellitus.
Glucose is a form of sugar found in food. When the body digests food, glucose moves into the bloodstream. In response the body releases insulin which is a hormone. Insulin is released by the pancreas, and it triggers the opening of body cells so that the glucose may enter and be used for energy. As the glucose moves into the body cells the level of glucose in the bloodstream decreases. When it falls below a certain point, the pancreas release another hormone called glucagon. This hormone triggers the release of stored glucose from the liver. Through the work of two hormones, insulin and glucagon, the body maintains a stable level of glucose in the blood. With type 2 diabetes, the cells resist the effort of insulin to open them up and let glucose inside.This is known as insulin resistance. Type 1 diabetes is less common and is often diagnosed in people under the age of 30, while type 2 diabetes is often diagnosed in older people.
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes and the symptoms of type 2 diabetes are alike.
(1) One symptom is having to urinate a lot.
(2) Blurry vision.
(3) Itchy skin or Skin infections
(4) Sores that take a long time to heal.
(5) Unusual thirst.
(6) Tiredness
(7) Dizzy spells
(8) Nerve pain
(9) Losing weight while being hungry all the time.
The causes of Type 2 Diabetes is overweight or obesity. Obesity is defined as being more than 20% over ideal body weight. Carrying extra fat appears to trigger insulin resistance.
There are four main tasks in treating diabetes type 2,
(a) Eat healthfully and get exercise.
(b) Manage your blood sugar.
(c) Keep your blood pressure under control.
(d) Keep your cholesterol levels in healthy range.
-Manage your blood sugar
If your body fails to make insulin, then insulin has to be added. You do this by injecting insulin. Some patient's bodies produce enough insulin in which case they manage their blood sugar by taking pills.
-Eat Healthfully
Watch the carbohydrates(sugars and starches) you eat. The best carbohydates for diabetics contain fiber, not heavily processed, and are not too sugary.
Good choices are apples, peas, beans, whole grain breads,whole grain rice, and oat or bran cereals.
For cooking use vegetable oils such as (olive, canola, corn and peanut oil) instead of animal fats (such as lard, bacon grease, side meat, or fat back). Also, use herbs and spices instead of salt.
Avoid foods that are high in saturated fat (fat from animal products) and hydrogenated fat (vegetable oils that have been processed into solid fats).Saturated fat is found in fatty meats, processed meats, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, butter,
and lard. Hydrogenated fat is found in hard stick margarine and shortening and in many processed foods, snack foods, and fried foods. Check the labels of packaged
snacks and sweets. Avoid the ones that contain coconut oil, palm oil, or hydrogenated
vegetable oil.
Avoid high-cholesterol foods. These are foods from animal products such as meats, butter,cheese, whole milk, cream, and eggs.
Do not drink large amounts of alcohol. Blood sugar drops as alcohol is digested. Too much alcohol can lead to hypoglycemia,which in turn can cause dizziness. These are
the same symptoms as for being drunk.
-Monitoring blood pressure
High blood pressure must be treated to prevent strokes, heart attacks, vision problems, and other complications of diabetes.Treatment for high blood pressure may
include improvements to your diet (such as eating less salt), changes to your lifestyle (such as more exercise), and medicines.
This article is one in a series of articles to provide information on type 2 diabetes and diabetes in general.

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