How Do You Know It’s Type 2 Diabetes?
Over recent years, much of what was known about type 2 diabetes has been turned upside down. What is now known is so much more powerful… now there is an understanding of the real cause.
So how does type 2 diabetes start… often the first symptom is fatigue. You lost your spark. From there you noticed you were visiting the bathroom often, passing excessive amounts of urine. Thirst comes next, you find yourself drinking so much more water or fluids generally. What really is happening in your body is sugar is not able to move from your bloodstream into your cells. From that small problem comes so many others.
- Glucose or sugar is an energy source for your body. It supplies power to everything you do, from thinking to moving. So when it is unable to enter your cells, they become tired and you have no energy.
- The sugar from your bloodstream is then filtered through your kidneys, and in an attempt to excrete this high amount of blood sugar, large amounts of fluid are used. This fluid is pulled from your body and is why you make so many trips to the bathroom and why you feel dehydrated.
- Naturally you then feel very thirsty.
Therefore:
- fatigue
- frequent urination
- dehydration and thirst
are all symptoms of the one problem. Sugar being unable to enter your cells. you now have high blood sugar levels and high insulin levels. A provisional diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is made if you have these symptoms plus blood sugar levels of 126 mg/dl (7 mmol/l) or higher after fasting for eight hours. Your health care provider will then follow up with an oral glucose tolerance test or challenge, and if your level is shown to be 200 mg/dl (11 mmol/l) or higher two hours later… a definite diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is made. A normal glucose tolerance test value is less than 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/l).
A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes means the insulin in your body is no longer doing it’s job… it is unable to open the doors of your cells to allow sugar to enter. Your pancreas continues to produce more insulin in an attempt to fix this problem… it tries to overcome the resistance.
Treatment for type 2 diabetes.
- sometimes includes medications
- always includes a healthy eating plan in order for you to lose weight and reduce your blood sugar levels
- should include an increase in physical activity on a daily basis
- can include naturally occurring substances such as chromium and cinnamon
Learning all you can about type 2 diabetes and making a commitment to living a healthy lifestyle will reduce your risk of serious health complications.