How do you feel when you find out you have diabetes?
When people first find out that they have diabetes, it's sometimes really scary, or sad, or even hard to believe. After all, you probably don't feel sick, or any different than you felt before you were told you have diabetes.
How can I cope with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis?
Talking to a counselor or therapist may help you cope with the lifestyle changes or stressors that come with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Support groups can be good sources of diabetes education, emotional support, and helpful information, such as how to find local resources or where to find carbohydrate counts for a favorite restaurant.
How can I Manage my diabetes?
Consider these tips: 1 Commit to managing your diabetes... 2 Identify yourself. Wear a necklace or bracelet that says you have diabetes,... 3 Schedule a yearly physical exam and regular eye exams... 4 Keep your vaccinations up to date... 5 Take care of your teeth. Diabetes may leave you prone to more-serious gum infections... 6 ... (more items)
Why do people with Type 2 diabetes need insulin therapy?
Some people who have type 2 diabetes need insulin therapy. In the past, insulin therapy was used as a last resort, but today it's often prescribed sooner because of its benefits. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is a possible side effect of insulin.
How do you feel after starting diabetes medication?
You may have nausea, gas, bloating, diarrhea, b12 deficiency, and an upset stomach. These problems usually go away in a few weeks, as your body gets used to the medicine. It may also help to take the drug with food.
How does a diabetic patient feel?
Type 2 diabetes is a common condition that causes high blood sugar levels. Early signs and symptoms can include frequent urination, increased thirst, feeling tired and hungry, vision problems, slow wound healing, and yeast infections.
How long does it take to reverse the effects of type 2 diabetes?
How long does it take to reverse diabetes? There's no set timeframe for when people with Type 2 diabetes may start to see their hard work pay off. In general, diabetes experts say with medication and lifestyle changes, diabetes patients could notice a difference in three to six months.
How can type 2 diabetes feel better?
Know what to do every day.Take your medicines for diabetes and any other health problems even when you feel good. ... Check your feet every day for cuts, blisters, red spots, and swelling. ... Brush your teeth and floss every day to keep your mouth, teeth, and gums healthy.Stop smoking. ... Keep track of your blood sugar.More items...
How do diabetics feel when their sugar is high?
Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) means there is too much sugar in the blood because the body lacks enough insulin. Associated with diabetes, hyperglycemia can cause vomiting, excessive hunger and thirst, rapid heartbeat, vision problems and other symptoms. Untreated hyperglycemia can lead to serious health problems.
Can type 2 diabetes make you feel unwell?
Diabetes may increase a person's risk of feeling nauseated because diabetes-related complications, such as hyperglycemia, can cause nausea. People can take the following steps to help prevent or reduce their risk of developing complications that can lead to nausea: taking medication exactly as a doctor has prescribed.
How much weight do you need to lose to reverse type 2 diabetes?
In one from 2011, people who were recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes returned their blood sugar levels to normal when they lost weight on a calorie-restrictive diet. In a 2016 follow-up study, people who had been diabetic for up to 10 years were able to reverse their condition when they lost about 33 pounds.
Can walking cure diabetes?
Research studies have shown that walking can be beneficial in bringing down blood glucose and therefore improving diabetes control. In a study involving people with type 1 diabetes, participants were assigned to either take a 30 minute walk after eating or have the same meal but remain inactive.
Does exercise reverse diabetes?
Exercise helps the body to become more sensitive to its insulin. In combination with a healthy diet, exercise can reduce the demand for insulin in the body and therefore help reverse diabetes.
What does a new diabetic need to know?
Eat a variety of foods, including vegetables, whole grains, fruits, non-fat dairy foods, healthy fats, and lean meats or meat substitutes. Try not to eat too much food. Try not to eat too much of one type of food. Space your meals evenly throughout the day.
Is type 2 diabetes easy to manage?
For many people, type 2 diabetes can be effectively managed. If not properly managed, it can affect virtually all of your organs and lead to serious complications, including: skin problems, like bacterial or fungal infections.
Is milk at night good for diabetes?
It is not always recommended to have milk at bedtime for diabetics. The higher amounts of calories in milk at night can be dangerous to the body.
What to do if you can't maintain your target blood sugar level?
If you can't maintain your target blood sugar level with diet and exercise, your doctor may prescribe diabetes medications that help lower insulin levels or insulin therapy. Drug treatments for type 2 diabetes include the following.
What is the normal blood sugar level for Type 2 diabetes?
This blood test indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. Results are interpreted as follows: Below 5.7% is normal. 5.7% to 6.4% is diagnosed as prediabetes.
Why do we need wellness visits?
Keeping your annual wellness visits enables your health care provider to screen for diabetes and to monitor and treat conditions that increase your risk of diabetes — such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a high BMI.
How does SGLT2 affect kidney function?
SGLT2 inhibitors affect the blood-filtering functions in your kidneys by inhibiting the return of glucose to the bloodstream. As a result, glucose is excreted in the urine. These drugs may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with a high risk of those conditions.
How to improve your strength and balance?
Resistance exercise. Resistance exercise increases your strength, balance and ability to perform activities of daily living more easily. Resistance training includes weightlifting, yoga and calisthenics. Adults living with type 2 diabetes should aim for two to three sessions of resistance exercise each week.
How long does it take to retest blood sugar?
If you have signs or symptoms of low blood sugar, drink or eat something that will quickly raise your blood sugar level — fruit juice, glucose tablets, hard candy or another source of sugar. Retest your blood in 15 minutes.
What does a blood sugar level of 200 mean?
Regardless of when you last ate, a level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher suggests diabetes, especially if you also have signs and symptoms of diabetes, such as frequent urination and extreme thirst. Fasting blood sugar test.
Finding out
When people first find out that they have diabetes, it's sometimes really scary, or sad, or even hard to believe.
Your new job
What is true is that you may need to change some things about your daily routine.
What to do when you have type 2 diabetes?
The general advice for those living with type 2 diabetes is to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. But what does that mean for you? In short, whatever you make of it. Living with diabetes doesn’t mean cutting out cake, burgers, or your favorite guilty pleasures. It means adjusting in what quantities and the frequency in which you eat them. If you’re someone who’s had a negative view of healthy foods, living with diabetes can change that perspective for you. Healthy eating can be as simple as recreating your favorite dishes with healthier ingredients.
How to build a diabetes care team?
While specialists certainly provide the expertise, only you fully understand how diabetes affects your body. Seek recommendations for endocrinologists, nutritionists, dietitians, diabetes educators, and peer support groups from trusted sources such as your primary care doctor. When choosing members of your care team, ensure they respect your values, including cultural ones, and provide a holistic approach to your treatment plan and address the mental and emotional tolls of diabetes self-management.
How much does diabetes cost?
People with diabetes spend an average of $16,752 on medical expenses per year, with $9,601 of that directly attributed to diabetes care. These costs come from hospital inpatient care, prescription medicines, diabetes supplies, and visits to the doctor.
What does it mean to be healthy with diabetes?
It means adjusting in what quantities and the frequency in which you eat them. If you’re someone who’s had a negative view of healthy foods, living with diabetes can change that perspective for you. Healthy eating can be as simple as recreating your favorite dishes with healthier ingredients.
How long before a meal should you check your blood sugar?
This includes asking your doctor or another member of your diabetes care team what your ideal blood sugar numbers should be before your first meal of the day, two hours after your first bite of a meal, which ranges are too high or low, ...
What is the goal of diabetes management?
You and your doctor are working towards a goal to make sure you’re able to manage diabetes well enough to live a full, healthy, and happy life with it. An essential part of the beginning of type 2 diabetes management is understanding what your numbers mean and setting realistic goals for lowering your daily blood sugar numbers and A1C. Understand type 2 diabetes affects everyone differently, so ask your doctor what numbers are optimal for you.
Does health insurance cover diabetes?
Because of this, it’s extremely important to understand how your health insurance plan can help you cover the costs of diabetes management. Adequate coverage can be the difference in preventing serious complications. Read about health coverage in your state and see if you’re eligible for financial assistance.
How to start insulin?
A common way to start insulin is to add a once-daily dose of a long-acting insulin at bedtime (basal insulin) to the treatment regimen. The long-acting insulins cause less hypoglycemia than the intermediate-acting ones so, if it is within your budget, it is advisable to start with one of these.
What happens when blood sugar is high?
When blood sugar levels are elevated, there is not enough insulin in the body to properly turn glucose into usable energy. Without insulin, the glucose simply remains in the bloodstream and then gets excreted through the urine. This loss of calories translates into unhealthy weight loss.
What is basal insulin?
Basal insulin (intermediate, long-acting or ultra-long-acting) helps with fasting blood sugars. Multiple formulations of premixed insulins are available and are convenient to use as well. For type 2 diabetes, adding insulin to non-insulin medications may result in better blood glucose control with a smaller dose of insulin.
What are the different types of insulin?
There are a variety of insulins available on the market. They are classified according to duration of action, time of onset and peak action. There are two main types of insulin, which are designed to work in different ways: 1 Bolus insulin helps with meal-time blood sugars 2 Basal insulin (intermediate, long-acting or ultra-long-acting) helps with fasting blood sugars
Does insulin help with weight gain?
This loss of calories translates into unhealthy weight loss. Insulin therapy helps move the glucose into the cells and turns those calories into energy for your body. All of those extra calories will then be absorbed, which can translate to weight gain. Learn about ways to avoid these extra pounds here.
Can insulin pen be used for type 2 diabetes?
Your healthcare team may also be able to prescribe an insulin pen device, which makes injection even easier. With intensive glycemic control, the risk of hypoglycemia is increased. However, this risk is lower in people with type 2 diabetes than in those with type 1 diabetes. Mild hypoglycemia may still occur in people with type 2 diabetes, ...
Can you continue to do normal activities?
You can continue to do all of your usual activities and live your normal life. You may need to check your blood glucose more often, but this will keep you safe, healthy and informed. You may be surprised that starting insulin is a much smaller burden than you initially thought it would be.
You don't understand what you've done wrong
Diabetes usually progresses over time. There comes a time when more and stronger treatment is needed. When the pills that have controlled your blood glucose no longer work, insulin is needed. This doesn't mean you have failed. It is expected in the course of the disease.
You feel isolated
You are not alone! Most healthy patients with diabetes can expect to live long lives after their disease is diagnosed. A large number will require insulin at some point. Many are not happy about taking injections, but most adjust to them well.
You feel like your life is going to change
In some cases, insulin treatment may be temporary. In others, it is not. Whatever is needed to control your blood glucose should be used. That's what keeps you healthy.
You've heard that insulin causes blindness and kidney failure
Nothing could be further from the truth. High blood glucose cause blindness, kidney failure, and other problems, such as nerve damage that can lead to amputations. But eye, kidney, and nerve damage can be delayed or prevented by good control. Insulin will NOT make your diabetes worse, and it is one of the most natural diabetes treatments available.
You're afraid to take injections or worried about a complicated insulin routine
Insulin needles today are so small and thin that patients barely feel them. And most starting insulin routines are fairly simple. Your provider may even be able to prescribe an insulin pen device, which makes injections even easier.
You're afraid injections will hurt or that you'll have low blood glucose reactions (hypoglycemia)
Most patients find that insulin shots don't hurt. Severe hypoglycemia is far more common in people with type 1 diabetes. Mild hypoglycemia may sometimes occur in patients with type 2 diabetes, but your provider will teach you how to detect, prevent, and treat it.
How to store insulin?
You'll also need to learn how to store your insulin properly when you first start injections. Never leave insulin in the freezer, and keep your extra supply in the refrigerator. Avoid shaking or handling the insulin roughly, as this can cause clumping.
How much insulin do you need to travel to the airport?
It's always a good idea to prepare for the worst-case scenario, so make sure you travel with two to three times the amount of insulin you think you'll need.
Can insulin injections cause low blood sugar?
When you begin to balance your blood sugar with insulin injections, you may find it hard to match this with appropriate carbohydrate intake, at first. This can result in episodes of extremely low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.
Is insulin a way of life?
Insulin injections are a way of life for many people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes , but for some people, they can be a little intimidating at first. If you're starting insulin injections, it's helpful to know what to expect so there are no surprises along the way and you can be prepared to easily navigate complications or challenges.
Can insulin injections hurt?
Pain. Insulin injections can be slightly painful for some people - many individuals will experience tenderness or soreness at the injection site. These symptoms usually aren't unbearable or long-lasting, however, and many needles are now thinner and shorter, which can decrease sensitivity.
How to help a diabetic with diabetes?
Strength training exercises are essential to help preserve or build muscle. Shutterstock. Exercise has many health benefits, and if you're living with type 2 diabetes, you know this is especially true for you. Create a regular exercise program, and it will help you control your blood sugar, improve your heart health, boost your mental health, ...
How to improve flexibility in diabetes?
To also improve flexibility, incorporate stretching exercises and yoga, Shahar adds. Decide what’s realistic for you. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that people with type 2 diabetes create an exercise plan that provides at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week.
How to make exercise more fun?
An exercise buddy can also provide motivation, keep you accountable, and make exercising more fun. Make a date to meet a friend at the gym or to go for a walk around your neighborhood after a meal. Choose an activity you enjoy. Pick something you find fun or interesting.
What are the best exercises for diabetics?
The best exercise plan for diabetes, Shahar says, is one that includes a mix of aerobic and strength training. Aerobic exercises, such as walking, swimming, jogging, hiking, and dancing, or use of cardio machines such as an elliptical machine, can improve endurance.
How to overcome time obstacle?
Another way to overcome the time obstacle is to break up your exercise into 10-minute intervals — research shows that these exercise “bites” may be just as beneficial as exercising for 30 minutes at once. Stay hydrated. When you have diabetes and you exercise, getting enough fluids is a must.
What to do before starting exercise?
Talk with your doctor. Before you begin an exercise program, get the go-ahead from your doctor . This is especially important if you’re taking medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, or any other health issue, as well as if you have joint or muscle problems. “If you have diabetes complications or joint or muscle problems, ...
How to increase endurance?
Increase your endurance over time. If you’ve never been consistently active, start with just five minutes a day, and then gradually increase to 10, then 15 , and so on until you reach your goal. An exercise plan should be challenging, but not overwhelming or impossible. Listen to your body.
Diagnosis
Treatment
- Management of type 2 diabetes includes: 1. Healthy eating 2. Regular exercise 3. Weight loss 4. Possibly, diabetes medication or insulin therapy 5. Blood sugar monitoring These steps will help keep your blood sugar level closer to normal, which can delay or prevent complications.
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- Careful management of type 2 diabetes can reduce your risk of serious — even life-threatening — complications. Consider these tips: 1. Commit to managing your diabetes.Learn all you can about type 2 diabetes. Make healthy eating and physical activity part of your daily routine. 2. Work with your team.Establish a relationship with a diabetes educator, and ask your diabetes treatment tea…
Alternative Medicine
- Many alternative medicine treatments claim to help people living with diabetes. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, studies haven't provided enough evidence to recommend any alternative therapies for blood sugar management. Research has shown the following results about popular supplements for type 2 diabetes: 1. Chromiumsupple…
Coping and Support
- Type 2 diabetes is a serious disease, and following your diabetes treatment plan takes round-the-clock commitment. To meet the demands of diabetes management, you may need a good support network. Anxiety and depression are common in people living with diabetes. Talking to a counselor or therapist may help you cope with the lifestyle changes or stressors that come with …
Preparing For Your Appointment
- Keeping your annual wellness visits enables your health care provider to screen for diabetes and to monitor and treat conditions that increase your risk of diabetes — such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a high BMI. If you are seeing your health care provider because of symptoms that may be related to diabetes, you can prepare for your appointment by being ready to answer …
Why You May Need More Medication Over Time
- After your initial diagnoses of type 2 diabetes, you may notice that it’s harder to reach your diabetes treatment targets even though your medication, exercise routine, diet, or other things you do to manage your diabetes hasn’t changed—and that’s normal. Every so often, your routine to manage your diabetes will likely need to be adjusted. You migh...
How Diabetes Progresses
- Diabetes is considered a progressive condition, which is why the first step you take to manage your diabetes will not stay effective long-term. Scientists understand the basics of type 2 well, including how the body makes and uses insulin. When beta cells in the pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to keep your blood sugar (blood glucose) from raising too high, the result is diab…
Understanding Why It Changes
- Despite decades of research, we still don't know why some people need to do more to manage their diabetes than others. Genetics plays a role. Researchers have connected more than 70 different genes to type 2 diabetes, but it’s still hard to tell what the interaction between them is. The the progression of type 2 diabetes varies from person to person.
Slowing The Progression
- Research continues to explore how to slow or even stop type 2 progression. There’s a lot of evidence that it may be reversible. But studies have shown that this usually isn’t permanent. Many times, after blood sugar is managed without lifestyle or medication, blood glucose elevates again. Until researchers unravel the mystery of diabetes progression, doctors recommend the proven a…