Type 2 diabetes: causes, symptoms, and treatment

Definition

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a type of diabetes mellitus which causes high blood sugar levels due to an unhealthy lifestyle. This disease is also known as adult-onset diabetesbecause it usually attacks adults or the elderly.

However, it is possible that this disease can affect young people due to various factors that increase your risk.

In type 1 diabetes, high blood sugar levels are caused by the pancreas unable to produce the hormone insulin optimally. Meanwhile, type 2 diabetes mellitus usually occurs because the body's cells are no longer sensitive to insulin, making it difficult to convert glucose into energy.

In other words, in people who have type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still produces insulin, it's just that the body is no longer sensitive to its presence.

If blood sugar is allowed to continue high, sufferers are more at risk of developing diabetes complications that affect the nervous system, heart, kidneys, eyes, blood vessels, gums and teeth.

Signs & symptoms

What are the characteristics and symptoms of type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes mellitus often does not show obvious symptoms of diabetes. Many people don't even realize that they have this disease for years even though symptoms have appeared.

Here are some of the characteristics of type 2 diabetes that you should be aware of, such as:

Continuous urination
Often feel thirsty and drink more
Get hungry quickly even though you have eaten a lot
Weight loss for no apparent reason
Wounds are difficult to heal and are prone to infection
Skin problems such as itching and dark skin, especially the folds of the armpits, neck and groin
Visual disturbances such as blurred vision
Frequent pain, tingling, and numbness of the hands and feet (numbness)
Sexual dysfunction such as erectile disorders

When should I see a doctor?

If you have any of the signs or characteristics mentioned above, immediately consult your doctor.

Everyone's body can show different reactions so that the symptoms that appear can be different. Discuss with your doctor to determine the best course of action to treat it.

Cause

What causes type 2 diabetes?

According to a study by the American Diabetes Association, type 2 diabetes mellitus is generally caused by insulin resistance, which is a condition when cells are immune to the hormone insulin.

When insulin resistance occurs, more insulin is needed so that sugar (glucose) levels in the body can remain stable.

Now, to compensate for the abundant glucose levels in the bloodstream, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas (called beta cells) will produce more insulin. With the hope, the more insulin produced, the more glucose is processed into energy.

Unfortunately, because they are constantly "forced" to produce insulin, the ability of beta cells will decrease over time. As a result, high blood sugar levels are getting out of control, causing diabetes.

This insulin resistance condition can be caused by several things, including:

Being overweight or obese
Genetic factors

Risk factors

Who is at risk for type 2 diabetes?

There are several things that clearly increase a person's chances of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, such as:

1. Family history

The risk of developing this disease is even greater if your parents or siblings have type 2 diabetes. Compared to type 1 diabetes, type 2 has a stronger relationship with family history and ancestry.

2. Age

Increasing age will increase your risk for developing this disease, especially after the age of 45 years.

It is thought this is because people at this age tend to move less, lose muscle mass, and gain weight. In addition, the aging process also results in a decrease in the function of pancreatic beta cells as insulin producers.

3. Weight

Being overweight is a major risk factor for this disease. Obese people are 80 times more likely to develop this disease than those who have an ideal body weight.

4. Sedentary lifestyle

Sedentari is a pattern of behavior with minimal physical activity or movement. You're probably more familiar with the termmager,aka lazy to move. In fact, physical activity helps you control your weight, uses glucose as energy, and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin.

The more passive you are, the greater your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

5. Prediabetes

Prediabetes is a condition when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. This condition generally does not cause significant symptoms so it is difficult to detect.

6. Diabetes pregnancy

Pregnant women who have experienced diabetes during pregnancy (gestational) and who recover have a high chance of developing this disease at a later date.

7.Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is closely related to insulin resistance. Apart from PCOS, a number of other medical conditions are also at risk of causing this disease, such as pancreatitis, Cushing's syndrome, and glucagonoma.

8. Certain drugs

Steroid drugs, statins, diuretics, and beta-blockers are several types of drugs that are known to affect blood sugar levels that are at risk of causing type 2 diabetes.

Diagnosis

What are the tests to diagnose this condition?

Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed by checking blood sugar levels. Although you can do your blood sugar check at home independently, it is best to do it in a hospital or clinic for more accurate results. The results of the blood sugar examination will then be analyzed by the doctor.

There are at least 5 blood sugar tests performed to diagnose type 2 diabetes, namely:

Instant blood sugar test: blood sugar test that can be done at any time.
Fasting blood sugar test: blood sugar checks performed after fasting for 8 hours.
Postprandial blood glucose test: done 2 hours after eating and previously fasting for 12 hours.
HbA1c test: a test measuring the average blood sugar level in the last 3 months.
Glucose tolerance test: done after 2 hours consuming 75 grams of glucose fluid and fasting for 8 hours first.

The doctor may also ask you to perform several other tests such as:

Blood pressure check
C-peptide insulin test to measure insulin levels
Check cholesterol and triglyceride levels

Drugs & Medicines

What are the frequently used type 2 diabetes medications?

It should be understood that type 2 diabetes is an incurable condition. Even so, you can still manage it so you can live a healthy and normal life.

Treatment of type 2 diabetes focuses more on changing your lifestyle to be healthier.

Some things that doctors will generally recommend to control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes include:

1. Healthy diet

A healthy diet is the main way that doctors usually recommend. You will be asked to avoid foods high in sugar and choose foods with a low glycemic index. These foods require a longer process of breaking down carbohydrates into glucose.

2. Sports

In addition to adjusting your diet, type 2 diabetes treatment can be done with exercise. You should do regular exercise (3-4 times a week for about 30 minutes) and increase physical activity.

3. Regularly take medication

If the two methods above do not work effectively in maintaining blood sugar levels, doctors will usually prescribe diabetes drugs to help control your blood sugar levels.

The doctor may prescribe only one type of drug or a combination of drugs.

4. Insulin therapy

It should be understood that not all people with type 2 diabetes need insulin therapy. Usually, you will be asked to take insulin injections if the diabetes medication you are taking does not provide significant improvement.

Insulin therapy can be given in the short term, especially when the person with diabetes is under stress.

Complications

What are the complications of type 2 diabetes?

Other possible complications of type 2 diabetes include:

Cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease with pain in the chest (angina), heart disease, stroke, narrowed arteries (atherosclerosis), and high blood pressure.
Neuropathy or nerve damage, diabetes can affect the feet and digestive tract
Nephropathy or kidney disease
Diabetes retinopathy or serious damage to vision, such as cataract glaucoma, and blindness.
Diabetic foot, or diabetic foot, when scratches and cuts on the leg can become a serious infection, which is difficult to treat and can result in amputation of the leg.

In addition, the most likely complication of type 2 diabetes is necrosis, aka cell death. This condition can make you paralyzed.

Cells that are unable to use glucose in the bloodstream slowly die. Necrosis usually occurs in the lower body, such as the legs.

Home remedies

What are the lifestyle changes to treat this condition?

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a condition that can be treated and controlled by making disciplined lifestyle changes.

In addition to the remedies that have been mentioned, the following home diabetes treatments also need to be done so that blood sugar levels remain normal:

Maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Maintain an ideal body weight with a target body mass index of 18.5 or less than 23.
Eat a balanced nutritional diet, including fiber, carbohydrates, protein, good fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Don't smoke and drink less alcohol.