What is Diabetes Mellitus?

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes (also called diabetes mellitus type 2) is a chronic disorder that influences the way the body metabolizes glucose, the body’s main source of energy.

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the body’s resistance to the effect of insulin or insulin deficiency which results in high levels of glucose in the blood. It is the most common form of diabetes and can be life threatening if left untreated.

Causes of Type 2 Diabetes

There is no single known cause of type 2 diabetes. However, there are known factors that can increase the risk of getting this disorder. Some of these risk factors can be change while others cannot.

Weight: Being obese is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The body develops insulin resistance depending on the amount of fatty tissues you have. The more the fatty tissues in the body, the more the body cells become resistant to insulin.

Family history: Having a parent or a sibling with type 2 diabetes increase the risk of you developing the same disease.

Inactivity: Lack of exercises will also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. Physical exercises help you to burn fat and utilize the glucose in the cells as energy. This makes the body to become more sensitive to insulin.

Pre-diabetes:  This is a condition in which your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be termed as type diabetes. If this condition is left untreated it can develop to type 2 diabetes.

Age:  As you get older the risk of getting type 2 diabetes increases, mostly after the age of 45. This is because people at this age tend to do little exercise and gain weight as they age.
Gestational diabetes: If you suffered from gestation diabetes when you were pregnant, then you are at a risk of developing type 2 diabetes later.  Women who give birth to a babies weighing more than 9 pounds are also at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Signs and Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop slowly; in fact, a lot of people experience no symptoms at all. Other signs are taken as the process of getting old. It is advisable to look for the following signs and symptoms:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Always feeling hungry and tired
• Blurred vision
• Having wounds and cuts that heal slowly.
• Mood swings
• Erectile dysfunction
• Always feeling dizzy
• Numbness in the feet or hands
• Weight loss
• Itchy skin around genitals

Test and Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes

The physician may suppose that you have Type 2 diabetes if your blood sugar level is higher than 200 mg/dL. To confirm the diagnosis, the physician may order one the following tests:

Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test
This test used to determine your average blood sugar level for the last three month. It is done through measuring the percentage of blood sugar attached to hemoglobin. The higher your blood sugar levels, the more sugar you attached to hemoglobin. If have a level of 6.5% and above after two separate A1C tests, then you have diabetes. A result ranging from 5.7 to 6.4 percent is interpreted as pre-diabetes which can develop to diabetes if not treated. Levels below 5.7% are considered normal.
Random blood sugar test
In this test, a blood sample is taken at a random time regardless of when you last ate. Blood sugar levels are reported in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). A random test with blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL or above indicates diabetes. Blood sugar level between 140- 199 mg/dL is interpreted as pre-diabetes, while level below 140 mg/dL is considered normal.
Fasting blood sugar levels
In this test, a blood sample is taken after an overnight fast. The doctor will certify you normal, pre-diabetic or diabetic according to the results obtained.

Treatment and drugs
The main purpose of diabetes treatment is to maintain normal blood sugar levels. There is no cure for type 2 diabetes but it can be controlled if strict measures are taken. Some people are able to manage it by changing their lifestyle, while others need to use insulin injection. Medical treatment may include insulin therapy, bariatric surgery and oral medication.

Managing Type 2 Diabetes

• Eat healthy balanced diet three times a day
• Engage yourself in physical activity
• Quite smoking and drinking alcohol

In conclusion, there are several complication associate with type 2 diabetes if left untreated for a long time such hyperglycemia, hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and nerve damage.

Treatment for type 2 diabetes is highly dependent on regular exercise, healthy eating, insulin therapy and blood sugar monitoring.