TYPE 2 DIABETES
What is Type 2 Diabetes? Diabetes type 2 is the most prevalent type of diabetes, with 90% of the diabetics having this type. It is a chronic metabolic disease. People suffer from type 2 diabetes when there is a lack in the production of insulin by their body or when the insulin is not used adequately by the body and it results in sugar build-up in the blood.
Type 2 diabetes is majorly seen in older adults or people over 45 years of age. Thus, it is also sometimes referred as adult-on set diabetes. Having said that, one can be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during childhood and teenage too, more so with the increasing rate of childhood obesity.
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes:
Symptoms and signs of type2 diabetes are often seen to develop slowly over a span of several years and may go unnoticed for a long time. Following are the common symptoms of type 2diabetes
· Increase in thirst, dry mouth.
· Increase in frequency of urination.
· Increase in hunger.
· Blurry vision.
· Feeling of numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.
· Wounds take long to heal.
· Fatigue.
· Dry skin.
· Frequent infections.
· Unintentional weight loss even after eating well.
· Darkening of skin, usually in the neck and armpit area.
· Irritability.
What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is primarily caused due to two problems that are interdependent.
· One aspect is that the pancreas is not able to produce enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that facilitates the movement of sugar from the bloodstream into the cells. This sugar is then either used by the cells for energy to perform its function or is just stored for later use. This mechanism limits the sugar level in the blood.
· The other aspect is that the cells develop resistance to insulin and do not respond to insulin in the way they should, and in turn take in less sugar. This results in increase in the sugar levels in the blood, causing diabetes.
The reason as to why this happens is still unknown to the doctors and researchers, but there sure are some contributing factors which lead to such action, key ones being over weight and being sedentary. We will shed more light on these as we proceed further in the article.
The Risk Factors of Type 2 Diabetes:
There are some factors that can make you more prone to developing diabetes type 2. If you have some of these, it is advisable to get your blood sugar levels checked at regular intervals even if you do not have any obvious symptoms of diabetes. The risk factors for diabetes are:
· Age of 45 or older.
· Overweight.
· Belly fat .A waist circumference of above 40inches in men and above 35 inches in women is an alarm bell that should be taken seriously.
· High blood pressure, even if controlled.
· Family history of type 2 diabetes.
· Lack of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle.
· Prediabetes. If you have prediabetes, it is essential to be cautious about your diet and weight, or else it will progress to type 2 diabetes.
· Gestational diabetes. If you have a history of gestation diabetes or if the weight of your baby at birth was greater than 4kgs (9 pounds), you are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
· High triglycerides level and low HDL (“good”)cholesterol.
· Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
· Ethnicity and Race. Native American, Asian, African and African-American, Hispanic, and Pacific Islanders are more prone to developing type 2 diabetes as compared to white people.
· Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
· Lifestyle disorders such as stress, depression, smoking, sleeping too much or too little, not exercising, etc.
Complications of Type 2 Diabetes:
Unlike other diseases, diabetes affects several organs of the body such as heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, etc. Once diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a good diabetes care plan is a must. Inability to do so can lead to a number of complications such as,
· Neuropathy or damage to nerves in limbs result in numbness, tingling, and sometimes burning of the hands and feet. Damage to nerves of the heart increases the risk of several cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, stroke, and atherosclerosis. Damage to the nerves of digestive system can cause nausea, diarrhea, or constipation. Neuropathy of the nerves supplying the penis can cause erectile dysfunction in men. Additionally, neuropathy of the nerves in the eye (retina) causes diabetic retinopathy.
· Damage to the kidneys leading to chronic kidney disease and irreversible end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis or even a kidney transplant.
· Serious eye conditions that can lead to blindness such as damage to the blood vessels of the retina, cataract, and glaucoma.
· Risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
· Slow healing of wounds in diabetics can sometimes lead to severe complications that can warrant amputation of leg or toes.
· Prone to skin problems, fungal and bacterial infections.
· Dental and gum problems.
· Bladder and sexual problems.
· Pregnant women with diabetes are at higher risk of having a miscarriage, a baby with a birth defect, or stillbirth.
Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes:
The following are the simple blood tests that your health care provider will prescribe you for the confirmation of the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
· HbA1c: HbA1c test is usually used for the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. This test provides you with an average blood glucose level in your blood over the last two to three months.
· Fasting Plasma Glucose Test: Fasting blood sugar test is another name for this test. In this test, the blood sample is drawn after overnight fasting and tested for glucose.
· Random Blood Sugar Test: This test measures the blood glucose level at any time of the day irrespective of when you had eaten last, hence the name random.
· Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: This particular test is less commonly prescribed than the others, excluding pregnancy. For this test too, overnight fasting is required.
The table given below will give you a fair idea of what the readings of the above-mentioned tests mean.
Diagnosis A1c (percent) Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) Random plasma glucose test (RPG) Normal Below 5.7 99 or below 139 or below Prediabetes 5.7 to 6.4 100 to 125 140 to 199 Diabetes 6.5 or above 126 or above 200 or above 200 or above
Prevention and Management of Type 2Diabetes:
Making healthy lifestyle choices will help you prevent type 2 diabetes and this is applicable for people where diabetes run in the family. This same formula of making lifestyle changes applies to people who are diagnosed with prediabetes as this helps in stopping the progression to diabetes. Making healthy lifestyle choices means:
· Eating a Healthy Diet: Healthy diet includes foods that are low in calories and fat and higher in fibers. More focus must be on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
· Keeping Physically Active: To prevent diabetes type 2, one should set a goal of at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate or vigorous activity like bicycling, brisk walking, swimming, or running.
· Reducing Weight: If your body weight is on the higher side, then it is best to lose weight so that the progression of prediabetes to diabetes type 2 can be delayed. The risk of diabetes reduces if you lose 7% to10% of your body weight if you have been diagnosed with prediabetes.
Managing diabetes can be challenging, but it is worth putting the efforts as uncontrolled diabetes can affect so many organs adversely, as we have seen above.
Following your doctor’s orders and taking the prescribed medications such as insulin and/or oral anti-diabetic medicines is also critical in managing your diabetes type 2 efficiently.
Keeping your blood pressure and your cholesterol under good control is also important in the management of type 2 diabetes.
Regular monitoring of blood sugar levels is important to see if your diet and medicines are controlling your diabetes optimally.
These simple management routines will help you in delaying or even preventing diabetes-related complications.
Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes:
In many cases, managing type 2 diabetes just with diet and lifestyle changes may not be enough to keep the blood sugar levels on track. In such cases, taking diabetes medication becomes a necessity. These medications can be in the form of pills or an injectable such as insulin. As people with diabetes progress in age, the capacity of their body to control sugar starts decreasing. In other words, over time diabetes type 2 progresses and then the need for more than one medication arises to maintain the blood glucose levels.
Let us look at some common type 2 diabetes medications.
· Metformin
· Meglitinides
· Sulfonylureas like glipizide, glimepiride, and glyburide.
· DPP-4 Inhibitors - Some examples aresaxagliptin, Lina gliptin, and sitagliptin.
· SGLT2 Inhibitors - Examples are empagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and canagliflozin.
· Thiazolidinediones - Some examples are rosiglitazone and pioglitazone.
· GLP-1 Receptor Agonists - Examples are liraglutide, exenatide, and semaglutide.
· Insulin-Different types of insulin are insulin glargine, Humulin, Novolin, insulin detemir (Levemir), etc.
Sometimes more than one drug is needed to control the blood sugar levels, such treatment is called combination therapy. It is best practice to work alongside your doctor and find the best combination therapy to optimally control your blood sugar. Generally, metformin is prescribed as one of the combination drugs, but the other drug in that combination depends on your situation.
Many diabetic patients are prescribed cholesterol-reducing medicines and aspirin too to lower the risk of cardiovascular complications.
Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes with Ayurveda:
Who does not want to get themselves treated naturally if they are given an option? As per the ancient texts, Ayurveda has been treating type 2 diabetes naturally with a combination of herbal medicines, Panchakarma, and yoga. Treatment varies according to the severity of the person’s condition.
Ayurvedic treatment for any disease is comprehensive. Ayurvedic therapies are so effective that they not only give symptomatic relief but also help in eliminating the disease from the root. Ayurvedic diabetic treatment processes aims at enhancing insulin sensitivity and promote rebuilding of beta cells in pancreas to improve insulin production. These combined approaches help in controlling blood sugar in abettor way.
Ayurvedic treatment is custom-designed for each individual depending upon the patient’s diabetic condition and comorbidities. With the combination of herbal concoctions and Ayurvedic procedures such as Panchakarma, diabetes type 2 can be adequately controlled, and complications arising from it can be prevented. Yoga practice help destress and also prevent fat accumulation, both of which are beneficial in controlling type 2 diabetes.
Apart from the above, one major highlight of Ayurvedic treatment is that it does not have any side effects, unlike the Allopathy medicines.
Which Specialist Should I Consult for Type 2 Diabetes?
Endocrinologist is the specialist you need to consult for treatment of type 2diabetes.Endocrinologists are experts in treating the hormone-related conditions.
Dr. Monga Medi Clinic Hasan entire department of Endocrinology where you can find the best endocrinologists who have vast experience in treating type 2 diabetes. It is a place where all your treatment needs for type 2 diabetes are met under one roof. They have 75 years of experience in treatment of chronic conditions such as diabetes. They combine Modern Medicine and Ayurveda to provide the benefits of both treatment modalities to their patients. This specialty clinic has an expert group of dietitians who design the best customized diabetic meal plan for each patient after extensive one-to-one counseling. They also have a team of yoga instructors and fitness experts who take a special interest in guiding you with yoga asanas and exercises that are best suited to control your type 2diabetes.
Online consultation is also provided for patients who cannot visit the clinic through their official website Dr.Monga Medi Clinic.
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/type2.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes