What is Type 2 Diabetes: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments and Prevention

Identical to Type 1, Diabetes type 2 is characterized by a chronic excess of sugar in the blood that triggers a number of complications, from infarction to vision loss. But in this scenario, the cause of high blood sugar results from a phenomenon known as insulin resistance . And the symptoms do not appear until years after the onset of the disease.

It's time to find out more about this problem, which accounts for 90% of diabetes cases in Brazil and is more common in adults.

What is Type 2 Diabetes

Unlike Type 1, the problem does not begin with an attack of the defense cells themselves on the pancreas, the insulin plant . Type 2 begins with resistance to insulin, the hormone that helps to introduce glucose (nutrient from food) into the cells.

In other words, this hormone is produced but can not work properly. To make up for the situation, the pancreas accelerates insulin production

But this comes at a price: over time, the organ depletes and the cells begin to deteriorate. Until one day, the overload is no longer counted because the blood sugar level increases and remains permanently elevated.

In the long run, high blood sugar can cause serious damage to the body. Among the complications, there are lesions and plaques in the blood vessels, which compromise the oxygenation of organs and catapult the risk of infarction and stroke.

The other consequences are as follows:

• Retinopathy (retinal lesion,
• Peripheral neuropathy (nerve deficiency affecting sensitivity)
• Amputations
• Renal impairment (diabetes is one of the leading causes of indication of hemodialysis in the country)

Hypoglycemia

Even when it coexists with a disease characterized by the presence or the l? absence of inflammation of the skin, it may be due to non-perceptible wounds of the skin that can progress to gangrene (diabetic foot). high blood glucose level, the diabetic must also pay attention to another typical phenomenon Hypoglycemia, a sudden drop in these rates, usually occurs when the disease is not under control and there is a medication inadequacy, excessive physical exertion, abuse al cool, prolonged fasting or unregulated diet.

The picture is marked by tremors, cold sweats and a feeling of weakness. Excessive sweating, palpitations, nausea, impaired speech, blurred vision and even fainting are all symptoms of worsening.

Under these conditions, a light bulb of gum, a bag of honey, an orange juice or even a glbad of water two tablespoons of sugar help restore the balance of the body. If the situation is losing control of your situation, it is prudent to seek a hospital or medical advice.

Signs and symptoms of diabetes

It is fundamental to say: we are talking about a silent disease. In other words, in most cases, the symptoms below only appear when they have already gone too far.

Be that as it may, stay tuned:

– Constant Thirst
– Dry Mouth
– Want to Urinate Anytime
– Loss of Weight
– Fatigue of the Legs and Feet
– Injuries That Take Time to Heal
– Frequent Fatigue

Causes and Risk Factors

– Overweight

– Pre-Diabetic Diagnosis
– Pre-diabetic diagnosis
– Pre-diabetic diagnosis
– Age greater than 45 years
– Sedentary lifestyle
– Sleep apnea having had gestational diabetes or having given birth to babies weighing more than 4 kg
– Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
– Unregulated diet with overuse of saturated fats (red meat and processed products) and simple carbohydrates (bread, pasta)

How to avoid

Part of the explanation of the failure of the pancreas es t due to genetics. But the trigger for type 2 diabetes is strongly badociated with lifestyle.

Poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles are one of the main causes of the disease, obesity. As weight gain promotes insulin resistance, one of the main measures to avoid the problem is to not let the balance pointer increase.

And this is true also for children, who are not spared from trouble, although this is the beginning. Type 2 diabetes mainly affects people over 45 years of age.

Keeping the ideal weight is a priority to ward off the threat. This is due to the fact that doctors badociate abdominal fat with metabolic syndrome, a set including hypertension, excess triglycerides, low levels of good cholesterol and the outgoing abdomen.

It should be noted, however, that sedentary lifestyle and unregulated diet alone can promote and aggravate type 2 diabetes.

Diagnosis

To Confirm Diagnosis – Of Type 1 and type 2 -, the specialist requests tests to measure the level of glucose in the blood. In the blood glucose test, the person is fasting for eight hours, then his blood is drawn.

If the result equals or exceeds 126 milligrams per deciliter, it is diabetes. But even if it is considered normal (between 70 and 99 mg / dl), it is correct to repeat the test because some diabetics do not show a change in fasting blood glucose. Between 100 and 125 mg / dl, the person has a problem known as pre-diabetes, which is already causing damage.

To avoid forgetting anything, the doctor must also use the oral glucose tolerance test, also known as the oral glucose tolerance test. glycemic curve. This is also done after eight hours without consuming food. However, two hours before the blood sample, the patient drinks a glbad of water with a sugar solution.

This method is performed in stages, usually every thirty minutes, always with ingestion of glucose in the intervals. If the badysis indicates a value of 200 mg / dl, the disease is proven

It is also possible to resort to the examination of glycated hemoglobin. In summary, this other blood test determines the average blood glucose for the last 90 days.

Treatment

It all starts with a recommendation to the diabetic to maintain a healthy lifestyle with physical exercises included. Smokers are encouraged to quit the addiction, which amplifies the damage to the arteries. Alcoholic beverages must be moderate because they can deregulate blood sugar and cause episodes of hypoglycemia.

Diet is an important element of disease control. The general guideline is not to abuse sources of carbohydrates and fats .
Another measure to be followed to the letter is to prioritize, as far as possible, whole foods high in fiber at the expense of simple carbohydrates (bread and white pasta, for example). They help slow the rate at which glucose is released into the bloodstream.

Sweets are not completely controlled, but sugar control should be stricter. This is not forbidden, but sweeteners are less worrying solutions.

And be careful when buying dietary foods: you must be sure that the nutrients extracted from these products are even sugar.

Medical follow-up and laboratory tests will show whether the right choices at the time of feeding, the practice of exercise, and the treatment indicated by the specialist manage to contain the disease or to prevent it. no complications in sight.

Drugs

In general, the doctor recipes the remedies known as antidiabetic drugs. oral. Several clbades act on several metabolic fronts to regulate blood glucose

Often, the professional establishes an badociation between clbades of drugs to optimize the effect. Metformin, for example, helps to overcome resistance to peripheral insulin. Other drugs, in turn, directly or indirectly stimulate the production of hormone by the pancreas.

Do not even think about self-medication. Only the endocrinologist is able to evaluate the type of medication to be included in the diabetic routine, taking into account age and health status in general – oral antidiabetic agents are generally contraindicated, for example pregnancy or kidney failure. 19659004] Finally, once you have decided on the treatment, you must be careful not to forget to take it or not to use it alone.

The use of insulin

Type 2 diabetes often evolves to the point where it is necessary to replace insulin with synthetic hormone injections. In these cases, the endocrinologist will establish the pattern of application and guide the procedure of storage and transport of the drug, as well as the care provided during the application.

The consultations will be used to adjust the doses and to establish the correct link between the insulin types – fast-acting, ultra-fast, intermediate and basal – depending on the meal.

Measurement of blood glucose

This check is carried out by a device called a glucometer or, more recently, with sensors installed on the arm of the person. In the old method, you drill a finger, place a drop of blood on a tape and five seconds later, the result appears on the screen.

Does this number indicate how much insulin to inject or how much carbohydrate can be consumed at any given time. The frequency of use of the device depends on the degree of stability of diabetes, but it is usually checked before and after meals and at bedtime

Frequency of use of the device depends on the degree of stability of diabetes. The ideal limits should be discussed with the health professional.

Follow-up

To determine if the treatment is effective, one test is repeated every three months: glycated hemoglobin, showing the change in blood glucose in the period

It is also recommended to do an eye exam every year to detect any retinal problem. It is also worth checking every 12 months if the kidneys are fine, the urine test being performed over a 24 hour period.

Already, self-examination of the feet should be done frequently – as these limbs have a decreased sensitivity, a scratch can become a serious and dangerous injury.

A 90-second video on type 2 diabetes: