Type 2 diabetes – causes, symptoms, treatment, complications and prevention [EXPLANED]

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Type 2 diabetes is currently considered a disease of civilization. It is mainly influenced by obesity and genetic conditions, because the disease can be inherited. The basis of treatment and prevention is a properly balanced diet and physical activity. Treatment is a complex process that requires a lot of commitment and cooperation from the patient.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes today. This disease is considered a civilization disease. Most often it results from obesity and bad eating habits. It is based on insulin resistance, which means reduced insulin sensitivity. If a patient neglects treatment, type 2 diabetes can lead to serious complications that may threaten not only health but also life of the patient.

Type 2 diabetes – basic information

Type 2 diabetes is also called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or adulthood diabetes. Type 2 diabetes mellitus belongs to the group of metabolic diseases and is characterized by high blood glucose levels and insulin resistance and a relative insulin deficiency. Diabetes of this type is the most common metabolic disease, therefore it is considered a disease of civilization. It is a chronic disease that usually affects adults in their 30s. Unfortunately, however, as the number of young people struggling with obesity increases, type 2 diabetes is increasingly developing in children and adolescents.

Diabetes mellitus, although it is a civilization disease of the 1500st century, the cases of possible diseases date back to around 1 BC. It is from this year that the Egyptian manuscript comes from, which describes the disease of a patient who urinates too often. It is assumed, however, that the first cases described concerned type 2 diabetes. Type 400 diabetes was first recognized as a disease by Indian doctors Sushruta and Charak around 500–20 AD. However, an effective treatment method was developed and proposed only at the beginning of the 20th century. In the XNUMXs, two Canadian researchers discovered insulin. About XNUMX years later, the long-acting NPH insulin was developed.

If you want to learn more about other civilization diseases, read: Civilization diseases – causes and treatment

Type 2 diabetes – causes

The two main causes of type 2 diabetes are the already mentioned insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. Insulin resistance results from both a person’s genes and obesity. The causes of diabetes are therefore both genetic and environmental. We can control the environmental factor. It is a modifiable factor and is directly related to the lifestyle. Therefore, if we want to avoid diabetes or are at risk, the best solution is a healthy lifestyle and a properly balanced diet.

1. Type 2 diabetes mellitus – genetic diseases can significantly affect the risk of developing the disease. This is because certain genetic mutations cause blood sugar levels to deregulate. According to a 2011 study, more than 36 genes contribute to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 
2. Type 2 diabetes mellitus conditioned by inappropriate lifestyle – this category includes obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, heavy smoking, a sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity. It is estimated that excess fat in the human body accounts for many cases of diabetes, with Europeans talking about 60-80% of those who develop the disease. 
3. Type 2 diabetes mellitus conditioned by other medical factors – the risk of developing the disease increases in cases of: previous abnormalities in glycaemia, impaired glucose tolerance, gestational diabetes, having a baby with high birth weight, arterial hypertension, polycystic ovary syndrome or endocrinopathies. In addition, the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus can be influenced by certain medications, including: glucocorticoids, thiazides, beta-blockers, atypical (second-generation) antipsychotics, and statins. 

In the prevention of diabetes, it is worth using natural herbal preparations. Buy now the Tea recommended for diabetes, which regulates the level of sugar and cholesterol in the blood.

Find out more about why you should lead a healthy lifestyle! Read: A healthy lifestyle means 14 years more without cardiovascular disease

Type 2 diabetes mellitus – diagnosis

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed by having regular blood glucose levels measured. Prepare for blood glucose testing as instructed by your doctor. Glucose testing can be performed on an empty stomach, after a meal, or at any time. A postprandial test is performed to diagnose postprandial glucose levels. Diabetes is diagnosed based on an over-normal blood glucose test in a fasting blood sugar test or an oral glucose load test. A normal blood glucose result is 70–99 mg / dL. If the patient shows an elevated glucose level, i.e. 126 mg / dL or above, the test should be repeated after a few days.

Interpreting the results for measuring blood glucose:

Interpreting the Glucose Load Test Results:

Type 2 diabetes – development

Diabetes develops gradually. Obesity and genetically determined insulin resistance appear most often at the beginning. In other words, a sick person’s pancreas produces insulin, but insulin is secreted from that of a healthy person. Insulin is released too slowly or too long. Nevertheless, the blood glucose concentration, i.e. glycemia, is still normal. The pancreas, taking care of the proper concentration of glucose in the blood, produces more and more insulin. Such a pace of work over the next several to several dozen years destroys the cells and, as a result, less and less insulin is produced. At this stage, blood glucose levels begin to rise and type 2 diabetes is diagnosed.

How to avoid type 2 diabetes? – prevention

Diabetes prevention is very simple. The basis here is taking care of the appropriate body weight. The only solution is a proper diet and daily physical activity that will reduce insulin resistance. Research clearly shows that this is the most effective combination for preventing the development of type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes – symptoms

Type 2 diabetes can take years to develop in hiding. Initially, it shows no symptoms. The situation changes when a tired body is no longer able to maintain an adequate fasting blood glucose level on its own. Therefore, periodic tests are recommended in people at risk. Especially obese people, people with hypertension, heart diseases and a family history of the disease should be examined.

The clinical symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:

1. excessive thirst
2. passing a lot of urine
3. general weakness
4. urogenital infections.

It happens that people with high blood glucose begin to lose weight. This is due to the lack of insulin. Then the glucose does not reach the cells of the body and is not used as an energy source.

For more information on how to measure your blood glucose, see here: Glycemia – How to measure your blood sugar? Glycemic norms

Type 2 Diabetes – Where Can I Get Help?

If symptoms of diabetes are diagnosed, you should consult your primary care physician as soon as possible. During the visit, the doctor will refer you to a diabetologist who specializes in this metabolic disease. The diabetologist, in consultation with the patient, will plan the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Many people start their fight with type 2 diabetes by changing their lifestyle. Changing the diet, introducing physical activity gives effects that can be observed several months after the implementation of the new rules. If the blood sugar level is very high at the time of diagnosis and the diabetologist determines that the lifestyle change does not make much difference, he or she may immediately initiate oral medications or insulin therapy.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus – treatment

Type 2 diabetes should be approached comprehensively. Many different methods are required to achieve results. An important part of the treatment of diabetes is non-pharmacological treatment. It is education, diet, physical activity. Of course, pharmacological treatment cannot be omitted. Another issue that needs to be addressed is the factors of cardiovascular disease, which often affect obese and overweight people.

The patient must be strongly involved in the treatment, because diet and activity are of great importance here. The first treatment is metformin, which reduces insulin resistance. If blood glucose nevertheless rises, it is necessary to add more drugs. The lack of treatment effect at this stage means that the patient has to start taking insulin.

Diabetes leads to many serious complications, such as foot amputation, blindness, and diabetic kidney failure. Therefore, education of patients with type 2 diabetes is an important element of its treatment and prevention. The changes that patients must introduce require a lot of cooperation with their doctors.

More information about treatment with insulin tablets can be found here: Insulin tablets. Hope for nearly half a billion people

Type 2 diabetes – the role of diet

Diet in type 2 diabetes is designed to reduce body weight. People who hear the diagnosis tend to eat a lot and very inappropriately, sometimes as much as 3500 calories a day. The main goal of the diet is to get the right amount of calories consumed. It is very important to be aware of the amount of calories consumed by an obese person. They usually feel that they eat little. The most important thing is to gradually reduce the number of calories you eat. On a diabetic diet, an obese person should lose about 2,5 kg per month. If this does not happen, either the person is not following the diet or their diet is poorly designed and contains too many calories.

Diet rules for people suffering from type 2 diabetes:

1. the frequency of meals – meals should be eaten regularly, preferably 4-5 times a day. Eating meals every 3-4 hours prevents rapid fluctuations in blood glucose levels;
2. carbohydrates in the diet – you shouldn’t give up carbohydrates as they are a valuable source of energy. However, it is worth paying attention to the selection of carbohydrates appropriate for diabetics. In the case of type 2 diabetes, you should reach for complex carbohydrates, i.e. whole grains, brown rice (e.g. natural brown rice Pestka by weight, which you can order at Medonet Market), whole grain pasta, groats or vegetables. You should definitely give up white bread and sweets. You can reach for fruit, but you should limit their quantity;
3. fats in the diet – in case of diabetes, avoid saturated fat and cholesterol. Which means that you should give up fatty meats, sausages, bacon or sausages. It is worth including olive oil, rapeseed oil and fish in the diet;
4. drinking alcohol – people with diabetes should be especially careful with alcohol. Alcohol inhibits the release of glucose from the liver, which can lead to hypoglycaemia or hypoglycaemia. 

Diet in diabetes should be supplemented with supplements and herbs. Try the Set for diabetics, which includes ecological tea recommended for diabetes, dietary supplement for diabetics in capsules, white mulberry leaf tea. If it is difficult for you to do without sweets, for diabetics there are, for example, PURE & good 50g stevia candies, which are safe and do not cause a sudden insulin surge. We also recommend Chocolate with stevia Torras 100g milk or bitter or white chocolate without added sugar Zero Torras 125g with strawberries or sunflower seeds and sea salt. This is a great alternative to ordinary sweets that even people with diabetes can eat.

Read also: Dwarf syndrome – the extreme stage of genetic diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus – periodic examinations

People suffering from type 2 diabetes should be under the constant care of a doctor and undergo periodic examinations. Every diabetic should measure their blood glucose on their own with a blood glucose meter. The following tests are recommended for people struggling with type 2 diabetes: determination of the percentage of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) – an indicator of diabetes control, determination of urinary albumin excretion, annual eye fundus examination for diabetic retinopathy. Diabetics should also carefully check their feet every day and take care of their hygiene.

Type 2 diabetes – complications

Untreated or poorly regulated type 2 diabetes can lead to serious and chronic complications. People who have additional type of diabetes mellitus are at risk of:

1. kidney disease;
2. heart attack and stroke;
3. diabetic wounds and damage to the veins in the legs;
4. damage to the vessels in the eyes, leading to poor eyesight and blindness;
5. sensory low neuropathy;
6. male impotence;
7. gum disease and oral infections.

Acute complications of diabetes are also listed:

1. Ketoacidosis is a condition characterized by abdominal pain, vomiting and excessive thirst. Additionally, the sick person’s breath has an unpleasant smell reminiscent of rotten apples;
2. hyperglycemic-hyperosmolar syndrome – is a state of dehydration of the body. Symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, dry skin. The patient may also complain of dizziness;
3. lactic acidosis – is a disease that is a consequence of taking antidiabetic medications. In this case, lactate builds up in the human body causing nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea;
4. hyperglycaemia – as a result of an incorrectly selected dose of the drug or a missed dose, the level of glucose in the blood may increase;
5. hypoglycaemia – it is a hypoglycaemia caused by administration of too much insulin. In this case, there is tachycardia, body weakness, headache and fatigue;
6. hypoglycemic coma – is a condition that is the result of low blood sugar and is life-threatening. 

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