Type 2 Diabetes - What All Should You Know?

Diabetes is a condition that cannot be cured. It is a lifelong disease that can be only managed. The way your body handles glucose is affected by this condition. Diabetes is classified into Type 1 and Type 2. Most people affected by diabetes have Type 2 diabetes. In few cases, the blood sugar levels are above normal. Yet, it cannot be high enough to be called diabetes. This condition is called prediabetes. People with such condition have a higher risk of being affected by diabetes. When one is diagnosed with diabetes, a lot of factors should be taken care of. The first thing you need to be careful about is the food intake. Physical activities and exercises, too, should be given importance.

Role of insulin: Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. The food you eat contains glucose, a form of sugar. This has to be converted into energy, which is done by insulin. When you are affected by Type 2 diabetes, your body still produces insulin. When your body cannot make use of it, the condition is called insulin resistance. To cope with this, the pancreas produces more insulin to convert the sugar into energy. But, still it cannot be used efficiently and sugar build up keeps growing.

The causes: You could have been affected by Type 2 diabetes because of various factors. It can be because of hereditary reasons. DNA can influence the way your pancreas produces insulin. You can be at a higher risk of diabetes when you both your parents are a diabetic. If you have excess weight around the middle or abdominal area, you are at an increased chance of being affected by Type 2 diabetes. Excess weight can lead to insulin resistance. Childhood obesity can result in diabetes in the teens and adults who are in their early twenties. Wrong communication between the cells and broken beta cells, too, can lead to Type 2 diabetes.

Risk factors: Low HDL cholesterol, heart diseases, high triglycerides, gestational diabetes, PCOS, depression, and prediabetes are some of the risk factors you need to be cautious about. When you know your medical history and undergo periodic checkups, you can assess your chances of getting affected by it. You can also find that various lifestyle factors play a vital role here. If you spend most part of your day sitting, or you have a sedentary job, your chance of getting affected by Type 2 diabetes is alarming. The same is applicable for smoking. Obesity or being overweight can also lead to Type 2 diabetes. Stress is a factor that can affect your health, and can also trigger this condition. You need to sleep for at least 7 to 8 hours per day. When you do not get adequate sleep, again, you are at risk. This does not mean sleeping more is safe. 10 or more hours spent sleeping again can cause type 2 diabetes.

If you want to keep off the risk factors, lose weight. Don’t get into crash diets. You can try healthy foods in portions. Do workouts. Cardio workouts are a good choice Stay off from junk foods and carbonated drinks. When you find the symptoms of being thirsty often, blurred vision, frequent urination, and numbness in feet, check your blood sugar levels. Speak to your doctor and take the right medication for diabetes. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!