What happens with Type 2 Diabetes?
We have covered Type 1 Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes, but now it is time to dive into Type 2 Diabetes, the one that happens with a poor diet and other poor life decisions. Poor diet happens to be the biggest cause for the development of this condition. Lack of control of your blood sugar, usually too much, is the culprit and it can harm you by causing disorders in your circulatory, nervous, and immune systems. Your pancreas cannot produce enough insulin for your body to help regulate sugar intake, and this leads to your cells responding poorly to the little insulin you can make, and this causes your body to take in less sugar.
Mayo Clinic: Type 2 Diabetes, management of sugar levels
Type 2 diabetes is more common in adults but sadly over the past years, even decades, it has become more common in children. This is because of their diets not being so healthy. Fast food places such as Burger King or McDonald’s have become an addiction for a lot of families because it is quick, easy, and cheap. This constant buying of fast foods or other processed foods is becoming the culprit behind the dangerous increase in children obesity and children having type 2 diabetes. Parents should be more mindful of the negative results processed foods and fast food restaurants have on their children and do whatever they can to help themselves and their children have a healthier diet. Children will see their parents eat unhealthy and think it is okay. Parents have to be the ones that set a better example for their children when it comes to healthier diets as well as staying active as much as possible. It is sad to see children with poor diets suffer with diabetes, but it is there and should not be happening in the first place. We should always think of our children, and do whatever we can to help them maintain a healthy diet, stay active, and maintain a healthy weight. There are numerous state and local programs that are aimed at educating and helping both parents and kids on maintaining a healthy diet.
Mayo Clinic: Nutrition for kids: Guidelines for a healthy diet
Nutrition.gov: Children Food and Nutrition
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Some symptoms you should look for that could be connected to type 2 diabetes are:
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Increased hunger
- Unintended weight loss
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Slow-healing sores
- Frequent infections
- Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
- Areas of darkened skin, usually in the armpits and neck
Mayo Clinic.org: Type 2 Diabetes symptoms
If you or someone you know is experiencing one or more of the symptoms listed above, then don’t hesitate and talk to your doctor. Don’t wait! Even if the doctor thinks you’re making it up or whatever, insist on getting tested so that you can catch it early. Catching it early and jumping on a plan to take better care of yourself will help you stay ahead of the game, even though there is no cure for type 2 diabetes, IT CAN BE MANAGED! Yet! Maybe in the future there will be a cure, but for now a healthy diet, exercising, losing unnecessary weight, and even sometimes, if needed, medications, can help you live a long life with type 2 diabetes.
Don’t get discouraged if you have any of these types of diabetes because there are plenty of people out there with them and are living their lives to the fullest with help, of course. Get tested, have a plan with your doctor, have your family and friends help you stick with that plan, and live your life with no fear!
Medications
While doing research on this topic, I found a great resource that could help you brush up on some of the medications that are used for keeping type 2 diabetes in check. It even provides information about type 1 diabetes if you wish to read more about that one too. Here is the link for the website.
Healthline.com: Diabetes Medications Type 2
What’s Next?
LIVE! Yes, live your life without fear and keeping your head held high even if you have to deal with diabetes. Don’t let it stop you from living your life to its fullest. Have a plan, always be in contact with your doctor so they know of any changes. Let your family and friends know of your plan, especially when it comes to your diet, and allow them to help you if you need it. If you have to take medications, make sure that you have plenty on you and/or that you take them on consistent basis. If you have to use insulin, always keep it close so you can have it on your person, especially when you go traveling. Help your children see the benefits of eating healthy and staying active so that they don’t have to fear of getting type 2 diabetes at a young age.
One bit of advice I want to give you is don’t do it alone. Always have your family and friends in your corner of the ring while you move through life with any type of diabetes. And remember that this stranger is in your corner too. I am here rooting for you and hoping you the best life even if you have to struggle with diabetes. I know you can do this and will have a long happy life with your family and friends.
Next Several Posts
For the next part of this health and diabetes series, I will be posting several interviews that I have had with my family and friends who have to live with diabetes and interviews with their family and friends and how they handle being with someone with diabetes. It is definitely a life stressor, but together families and friends can help one another through the stress and keep those with diabetes on track with their life plans to keep their diabetes under control.
Helpful Sugar Product
Regular sugar can be harsh on your body, so remember that there are alternative sugars out there. This one is one of the better product to use in your coffee or other food items as you see fit. Give it a try! Here is a link where you can buy some to try for yourself. And soon there may be a giveaway where a few lucky readers will win a free sample of the product. So keep an eye out for that.
Other Blog Links
Here are the links to a few other blogs I think you might find interesting as they talk about the product above, type 1 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. I hope that you find something interesting in this series and know that the internet has a lot of great resources so that you can always be in the know.