Type 2 Diabetes - Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Type 2 diabetes is a long-term medical condition in which the level of sugar or glucose in the blood becomes too high. In type 2 diabetes, the body's cells don't respond as well to insulin as they should.

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Many people do not feel any symptoms of type 2 diabetes, while some signs are ignored as signs of old age. That's why type 2 diabetes is often detected only during the investigation of another disease. People with type 2 diabetes often experience the following symptoms -

• Feeling fatigued and lethargic
• Always hungry
• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination, especially at night
• Skin infection
• Blurred vision
• Unexplained loss of body weight
• Headache
• Feeling dizziness
• Leg cramps
• Itching around the genitals
• Cuts or wounds on the skin take longer to heal
• Frequent mood swings
• Formation of dark spots on the skin. Some people with type 2 diabetes develop dark spots on the thighs and neck.

(Read More - Diabetic Ketoacidosis)

In the body of a healthy person, the pancreas makes insulin, with the help of which the body stores and uses the sugar obtained from the food. Type 2 diabetes is often caused by the following conditions -

• When the pancreas stops making insulin.
• When the pancreas makes very little insulin and the body does not make as much insulin as it needs. In such a situation, instead of going into the sugar cells, it starts accumulating in the blood.
• When the body does not respond properly to insulin, this condition is called “insulin resistance”.
• When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into the cells, it causes damage to many parts of the body. If the cells do not get insulin according to their requirement, they cannot work properly.

(Read More - Diabetic Nephropathy)

There are some factors that increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, such as -

In most people, type 2 diabetes can be kept under control. Type 2 diabetes affects all the organs of the body, which can lead to the development of the following serious problems -

• Skin conditions - Type 2 diabetes greatly increases the risk of developing skin problems, including bacterial infections and fungal infections.
• Hearing problems - Hearing problems are also common with type 2 diabetes.
• Cardiovascular diseases - These can cause problems like high blood pressure, narrowing of the arteries, angina, heart attack, stroke, etc.
• Kidney problems - These mainly causes problems like kidney damage and kidney failure.
• Eye problems - This can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, reduced vision, and even blindness.
• Nerve damage (Neuropathy) - In this, the hands and feet become numb and the sensation decreases, as well as digestive problems, such as vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, etc.
• Leg damage - Damage to the veins of the legs or insufficient blood flow to the legs increases the risk of many complications related to the legs. If any type of cut or wound etc. on the skin is left untreated, it can lead to serious infection, which takes a long time to heal. In some severe cases, doctors may have to amputate a toe, an entire foot, and even a leg.

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During the test, the doctor may do the following types of blood tests -

However, sometimes eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly is not enough to lower blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease. That's why you may need medicines to keep blood sugar under control. These medicines can be as follows -

• Metformin - Metformin medicines reduce the level of blood sugar and with the help of these medicines the body also starts responding well to insulin.
• Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors - These medicines help you to break down starchy food in the body, like acarbose and miglitol, etc.
• Sulfonylureas - It helps in making more insulin in the body.
• Meglitinides or Glinides - These are short-acting, fast-acting drugs that stimulate the pancreas to make more insulin. These include nateglinide and repaglinide etc. (Read more - Treatment of sugar in pregnancy)
• Thiazolidinediones - These drugs make you more sensitive to insulin.
• Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors - These medicines are used to reduce the level of sugar in the blood, these medicines are not very strong like alogliptin, etc. (Read more - Treatment of diabetic foot ulcer)
• Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists - These medicines reduce digestive power and improve blood sugar level. For example, albiglutide and dulaglutide.
• Sodium-glucose transporter-2 inhibitors - With the help of these medicines, the kidneys are prevented from re-absorbing sugar in the blood and the sugar is removed from the body through urine.

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Type 2 diabetes prevented with the help of some of the measures given below -

• Learn about its causes, and risk factors, and find out how serious it is.
• As you grow older, it is important to get in the habit of regularly checking blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol level.
• Drink plain water instead of sweetened beverages
• Excess fat in the body, especially if there is fat in the abdomen, increases resistance to the hormone insulin.
• Do not eat fast food, junk food, and food cooked outside, or at least eat it.
• Drinking alcohol can lead to weight gain and can also increase your blood pressure.
• Regular exercise is very important to prevent type 2 diabetes. Do some exercise on most days of the week, by doing this, the level of sugar in the blood decreases and it also improves the level of blood pressure and cholesterol.
• Include foods rich in fiber in your diet.
• If you want to avoid type 2 diabetes, keep your body active and avoid being sedentary.
• People who smoke have twice the risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who do not smoke.
• Most people have normal blood pressure by exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy body weight. In some cases, medication may also have to be taken by the doctor to keep the condition under control.

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Type 2 diabetes should not be ignored. Of course, this problem cannot be eradicated from the root, but it can definitely be controlled. For this, it is necessary to take the medicine regularly on the advice of the doctor. Along with this, it is also necessary to do exercise, yoga, and meditation daily. Apart from this, a good diet should also be taken.

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