Diabetes is a serious metabolic disease that prevents the tissues of the body from using glucose circulating in the blood. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), there are are over 23.6 million Americans diagnosed with the disease. There are a number of types of diabetes. These include type I, type II, gestational diabetes as well as those that result from surgery, medications, infections and pancreatic disease. While type I diabetes accounts for 1 to 5 percent of all diabetes, by far the most prevalent type is type II diabetes.
Identification
Diabetes becomes a problem for those affected when they can't use the glucose circulating in the blood. Type I diabetics fail to produce enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas and helps the cells use glucose circulating in the blood. Type II diabetics typically produce enough insulin, but the cells of the their body have become insensitive to it. In both types, the cells of the body starve in the presence of ample supplies of glucose. As a result, the body attempts to work overtime to compensate for what it perceives as a shortage of glucose.
Treatment of Type II Diabetes
Because type II diabetics do not experience a shortage of insulin, they are often easier to treat---they typically don't have to deal with the timing of insulin injections, where to inject it and how to balance it with other factors in their life. Type II diabetics respond well to diet, exercise and in some cases oral medications. By learning how to eat a heart-healthy diet, facts about the glycemic index of carbohydrates and how to exercise, the majority of type II diabetics can avoid taking medications in any form. One of the most important keys to managing type II diabetes is losing weight. There is a direct relationship between obesity and type II diabetes. Just by losing weight, many dramatically improve their health.
Nutritional Guidance
For newly diagnosed diabetics, it's important to work with a registered dietitian in concert with your physician. Diet plays such an important role in managing blood glucose that it's essential that you use time-tested approaches for keeping your blood glucose levels from spiking. Some common approaches include carbohydrate counting, the Create Your Plate approach from the American Diabetes Association and the glycemic index of foods. It's also a good idea to buy a food weighing scale, measuring cups and spoons so you can learn what constitutes an average serving size.
Exercise
Aerobic exercise has also proven to be effective in lowering blood glucose levels in type II diabetics. For two reasons: first, it consumes glucose while you're exercising and second, it enhances the sensitivity of your tissues (especially active muscles) to insulin. As your tissues become more sensitive to insulin, they become more efficient at lowering blood glucose. Many people who are diligent about their exercise program can completely avoid taking oral medications for diabetes.
Oral Medications
If diet and exercise are not enough to effectively lower your blood glucose over time, your doctor may prescribe one or more oral medications for you. Most medications prescribed for type II diabetics work to enhance either insulin production or to increase insulin sensitivity in the cells. Some common medications prescribed include sulfonylureas, meglitinides, biguanides, thiazolidinediones, DPP-4 inhibitors, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors or an oral combination therapy.
