Diabetes ‘n Me Blog

In type 2 diabetes, the body is still producing insulin but it is not being utilized properly. This is known as insulin resistance. When a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, there are more treatment options available to them as opposed to people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Depending on the blood sugar levels in a patient, their weight and other health factors, the doctor will decide whether the diabetes can be controlled by one of the following methods:

• Diet and exercise – a healthy balanced diet with regular exercise can be used for people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar levels are only slightly elevated
• Oral medication – is for patients whose blood sugars are higher than they should be but not to the point that necessitates an injection of insulin
• Insulin injections – a daily injection (or more) of insulin is needed when higherblood sugars are present

A type 2 diabetic may cycle through the different treatment methods throughout their lifetime. It is based on how well they are managing their diabetes and how their body is reacting to the treatment plan. Some people will never have to go past the diet and exercise portion and can gain control by maintaining a healthy body weight and eating the right foods on a diabetic diet.

Other people may start at diet and exercise but as the disease progresses may have to move from oral medication to injections over time. These changes will be determined by your doctor based on physical check-ups and the results of your daily blood sugar monitoring. If you would like to cut back on your medication or the type of treatment you are on, speak to your doctor about your goal and a plan can be put in place to better manage your diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes develops because the cells in the pancreas are not producing enough or any insulin to process the food in the body into energy. The only way to fix this is to inject insulin into the body to replace the insulin the body should be producing on its own. Type 1 diabetes is also known as Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) and requires insulin treatment for the patient to survive. This is done by via insulin injections.

There are two different types of insulin that can be used and in most cases a combination of the two is required. There is fast-acting insulin that is taken and it will start working immediately or within 30 minutes after taking it. This insulin is good for the beginning of the day before breakfast. If your body goes through the insulin quickly another injection of the fast-acting insulin may be required before dinner time. The other type of insulin is long-lasting. It can be mixed with the fast-acting and injected at the same time but can take upwards of 2-3 hours before it takes affect. Taking this insulin the morning should work for lunch or dinner time meals.

If multiple needles to not appeal to you, an insulin pump is another option. It is a machine that will pump fast-acting insulin into your system as needed. Prior to meal times, a button can be pressed to inject an extra dose of insulin to process the food that is going to be eaten. Some find this method offers greater flexibility, a benefit that outweighs the fact the pump has to be worn 24 hours a day.

The other piece of the treatment puzzle is a balanced diabetic diet. In addition to the insulin injections the food that is consumed is very important. If the proper food is not eaten, blood sugar levels will rise and so will insulin requirements.