How to Treat Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for up to 95 percent of all cases. Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 patients may produce sufficient amounts of insulin in the pancreas, but the body fails to use this hormone correctly to convert starches and glucose into food for the body. This insulin resistance results in an excessive amount of glucose (sugar) remaining in the blood. Since a diagnosis of this disease requires a life-long commitment to self-management, understanding how to treat type 2 diabetes is essential.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Treatment plan
• Medications (optional)

Learn How to Treat Type 2 Diabetes

1. Keep your blood glucose levels under control. One of the primary factors to consider in treating type 2 diabetes is diet. Therefore, it is very important that you learn from your management support team what foods you can eat and when.
2. Exercise on a regular basis. Next to managing your diet, exercise is the other essential part of treating diabetes type 2. A regular physical fitness routine will help to improve circulation, decrease insulin resistance and provide the added benefit of reducing stress.
3. Test your blood sugar as often as your doctor instructs you to. How often will vary from person to person and is based on testing in the early stages of diagnosis. The use of a glucometer will provide an accurate reading in seconds and serve as an indication of how well diet and exercise are helping to treat your diabetes.
4. Take your medications on schedule, if applicable. Sometimes, when diet and exercise are not enough to sustain healthy blood glucose levels, your doctor may prescribe insulin injections and/or medications which trigger the pancreas to produce more insulin or tell the liver to stop secreting glucose.
5. Plan to visit your diabetes care provider every three months for a complete examination. This routine usually includes a foot and skin examination, eye exam, neurological screening and a glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) test. The HbA1c test measures your average blood glucose level since your last test to get an idea of how much glucose is attaching to your cells and determine your risk for complications.

Tips & Warnings

• You must follow your treatment plan with diligence to help avoid serious, long-term complications. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and kidney failure and increases your risk for stroke and amputation of extremities. If your HbA1c level drops by even 1 percent, your risk for developing any of these complications increases by 25 percent.