Diabetes Type 2 - Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Unlike people with type 1 diabetes, people with type 2 diabetes produce insulin; however, the insulin their pancreas secretes is either not enough or the body is unable to recognize the insulin and use it properly. This is called insulin-resistance. When there isn't enough insulin or the insulin is not used as it should be, glucose (sugar) can't get into the body's cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, the body's cells are not able to function properly.

THE CAUSES OF DIABETES TYPE 2

The exact mechanism that causes the disease is not known. There may be an autoimmune response to insulin or to the molecules on the cell surfaces that the insulin connects to. However, these lifestyle factors can cause the disease:

-Too high consume of sugar and fat
-Over-weight
-Too less exercise over many years.

Therefore diabetes type 2 can be prevented by a right diet and with regular exercise.
The primary cause of Type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. If blood sugar (glucose) cannot be properly absorbed by the body’s cells because of insulin resistance, it builds up in the bloodstream instead (high blood sugar levels), leading to potentially more serious health problems. Insulin resistance plays a major role in the development, continuation, and complications associated with Type 2 diabetes.

People with type 2 diabetes have cells that don't respond effectively to insulin. As a result of this inability to use insulin, glucose in the bloodstream goes unused, and can build to dangerous levels. This insulin resistance is pronounced in people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight or obese. Over time, type 2 diabetics may progress from having adequate or even greater than adequate amounts of insulin to insulin deficiency, as the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas “burn out.” This is why type 2 diabetics have blood sugar levels that become more difficult to control, and require increasing medication with time.

The symptoms of diabetes

When a person with type II diabetes develops high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), they may experience symptoms such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite, weight loss, blurred vision, fatigue, headaches, occasional muscle cramps and poor wound healing. However, there are a lot of people with type II diabetes who do not show symptoms and don't even know they have it.

# Increased thirst
# Increased hunger (especially after eating)
# Dry mouth
# Frequent urination

Treatment

For both types of diabetes, treatment is generally emphasized over curing the disease; as to date there are no universal cures available for diabetes. However, with certain changes in lifestyle, it is possible to control diabetes outbreaks. In fact, treating diabetes is extremely important for a variety of reasons; not least of which is that there are many other illnesses that are linked to diabetes, such as like heart disease, kidney disease and foot and eye problems.

When a person is first diagnosed with diabetes, the doctor’s goal is to lower the glycemic index or the blood glucose level as this can have ill effect on other body parts. This can be achieved by adhering to a diabetes diet, getting regular exercise and maintaining a healthy body weight.