Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Type 2 Diabetes - Treatment Overview
It can be scary to learn that you, your child, a family member, or a friend has type 2 diabetes or is at risk for the disease. Many people are shocked when they find out that they have type 2 diabetes. Others are relieved to know what has been causing their symptoms. It is normal to feel angry or depressed about having a serious lifelong disease, but remember that many people who have type 2 diabetes enjoy healthy, active lives when they are able to control their blood sugar. Exercising, eating healthy foods, and taking medicines all help control blood sugar.
There is no cure for type 2 diabetes, but there are ways to treat the disease. Even if you do not feel sick, you still need treatment to prevent more serious health problems.
Some people can control their blood sugar by changing the way they eat and exercising more. Other people also need to take medicines. Treatment for type 2 diabetes includes:
- Changing the way you eat—to a healthier, more balanced diet.
- Limiting saturated fats.
- Limiting alcohol.
- Limiting calories in order to avoid gaining weight, or to help you lose weight.
- Exercising regularly to help your body use insulin better.
- Checking your blood sugar at home to know when the level is above or below your target range.
- Taking pills, if eating differently and exercising more do not keep your blood sugar levels within your target range. You may need one or more medicines to help your body make more insulin or to use insulin better.
- Taking insulin shots for a while or for the rest of your life. Insulin is usually given in the form of a shot, and it may be used alone or with other medicines that are in the form of pills or shots.
- Seeing your doctor regularly to make sure that your treatment is
working and that you have not developed any serious problems such as eye,
cardiovascular
, nerve, or kidney disease.
Other important issues
If you have type 2 diabetes, you also need to:
- Always wear medical identification to let health professionals know in an emergency that you have diabetes. Medical ID necklaces or bracelets are available from your doctor, your local pharmacy, or online.
- Know how to recognize and quickly treat high blood sugar and low blood sugar.
- Take extra care of your skin, teeth, feet, and gums.
- Know how to care for yourself when you are sick.
For more information on managing type 2 diabetes, see the topics Type 2 Diabetes: Recently Diagnosed and Type 2 Diabetes: Living With the Disease.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: October 19, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:
- Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
- Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
- Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.
The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.
How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?
Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.
How do I save content to my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.
How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.
How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.
To manage your Care Circle, Please
Sign In.
