Controlling Type 2 Diabetes
We strive for balance in many parts of our lives—from juggling work and family time to managing money. Bringing type 2 diabetes under control is a similar story.
Living with diabetes has a way of making you feel like your health is on an out-of-control roller coaster. When your blood sugar levels are too high or too low, you feel it. But when your blood sugar level is in balance, every day is another chance to feel healthy again. Here are 5 things you need to know to help you understand what's happening inside your body—and take control.
- Sugar in itself isn't the enemy. In fact, your body's main source of energy is glucose, a type of sugar. It's only when the level of sugar inside your body is out of balance that you begin the roller-coaster ride.
- Your body gets sugar from 2 sources. Sure, the foods you eat supply your body with sugar. But so does your liver, which makes sugar when you have not eaten. Sometimes the liver makes more sugar than the body needs, which causes the blood sugar level to rise. Type 2 diabetes is a disease of high blood sugar.
- Insulin is key to balance. Your body tries to balance your blood sugar level by releasing insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas. Insulin moves the sugar from your blood into your cells to use for energy. If you have type 2 diabetes, you may not have enough insulin or the insulin that your body makes may not work as well as it should. When your insulin doesn't work as well as it should, you have reduced insulin sensitivity or increased insulin resistance. This causes the blood sugar level to become out of balance because it gets too high.
- Living out of balance feels bad—and can be dangerous. High blood sugar may make you feel very tired—that's because your body isn't getting the fuel for energy it needs. You may also be running to the restroom a lot, because the body tries to get rid of the sugar overload through the urine. The loss of water can then make you overly thirsty. Other symptoms of high blood sugar include excessive hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and light-headedness on standing. If blood sugar levels rise extremely high, you may become severely dehydrated, which may lead to confusion, drowsiness, seizures, and even coma. If blood sugar is high for a long time, it can cause health problems, such as heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, and circulation problems, which can lead to limb amputation.
- You can take control. A main goal of treating diabetes is to lower your blood sugar level to within the normal range. Diet, exercise, and certain medications can help you get off the roller coaster and onto the road to better health. Talk with your doctor to map out strategies that are right for you.
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