What is type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a disease that affects your body’s ability to break down the food you eat and turn it into energy. In this section, we’ll bring you up to speed on the basics of type 2 diabetes, including:
How food becomes fuel
Normally, the food you eat gives your body energy for everyday tasks. Here’s how the process works:
| 1 |
Food is digested, or broken down into different elements that can be used by your body. One of these elements is sugar (called glucose), which is the main source of energy for the cells that make up your body. |
| 2 |
Sugar is digested and passes into your blood. It is then carried throughout your body so it can reach the cells. |
| 3 |
However, sugar needs a “key” to enter a cell to give it energy. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that acts as this key and allows sugar to enter the cells and be turned into energy. |
| 4 |
That’s why, when the amount of sugar in your blood (called blood sugar level) rises after you eat, your pancreas makes insulin and releases it into your blood as well. |
| 5 |
Once your cells absorb the sugar in your blood, your blood sugar level goes down, and your pancreas makes less insulin. |
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Type 2 diabetes interferes with your body’s ability to use insulin
When you have type 2 diabetes, the cells in your body have trouble absorbing the sugar in your blood.
Here’s what happens:
| 1 |
Once food is digested, sugar enters the bloodstream and is carried throughout your body—just like normal. |
| 2 |
Your blood sugar level rises, telling your pancreas to make more insulin. |
| 3 |
However…
- due to a condition called insulin resistance, the cells in your body may no longer be sensitive to insulin and do not “unlock” to allow sugar in.
- due to another condition called insulin deficiency, your pancreas may not produce enough insulin to allow sugar to be absorbed by your cells.
|
| 4 |
The sugar that should have been absorbed by your cells stays in your blood, which causes your blood sugar level to rise. Over time, too much sugar in your blood can lead to health problems. |
| 5 |
Because they cannot absorb enough sugar, your cells don’t get the energy they need. |
| 6 |
In response to high blood sugar levels, your pancreas may try to make extra insulin to try and “force the lock” on your cells. Eventually, the cells in your pancreas that make insulin (called beta cells) begin to wear out and they are no longer able to make enough. |
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Symptoms of type 2 diabetes
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Who’s at risk?
Certain risk factors for type 2 diabetes, such as heredity, can’t be controlled.
These include:
- A family history of diabetes – If you have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes, you may have a greater risk of developing the disease.
- Ethnic background – If you are African American, Hispanic American, Native American, or Asian American, you may have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The good news is that you can control some of the key risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
These include:
- Being overweight or obese – Body fat, especially around the waist, increases insulin resistance. Being overweight is often caused in part by…
- Lack of physical activity – Besides helping you maintain a healthy weight, regular exercise helps your cells use insulin and blood sugar for energy.
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Treating type 2 diabetes
Lifestyle modification:
The main goal of treating type 2 diabetes is to keep your blood sugar level from getting too high. Some of the best ways you can control your blood sugar are:
Prescription medication:
Sometimes diet and exercise aren’t enough. In this case, your health professional may prescribe one or more oral medications. They may be prescribed to be taken alone or together.
Generally, medications for type 2 diabetes do one of the
following things:
- Increase how much insulin the pancreas makes.
- Decrease insulin resistance.
- Decrease how much sugar the liver makes.
- Delay how quickly sugar is absorbed.
Talk with your health professional to find out if a medication that treats type 2 diabetes by reducing insulin resistance is right
for you.
Already on medication for your type 2 diabetes? Check out some tips for making your medication a regular part of your routine.
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