Life with Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes, a.k.a. Adult-onset Diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), is the most common form of diabetes. Diabetes is the inability of the body to properly make insulin or to properly use the insulin that it makes. This creates high levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Unchecked diabetes can lead to other very serious illnesses like:

• kidney failure,
  


• blindness,
  


• amputation of lower extremities, and
  


• heart disease.
  
  

Diabetes is currently the sixth highest cause of death in the , though that figure may be an low. Cause of death may often be attributed to the above complications rather than diabetes itself.

If you are:

• older,
  


• have a family history of diabetes,
  


• obese,
  


• of a racial/genetic makeup containing an African, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino or American Indian heritage, or
  


• a woman who has had gestational diabetes, you are at especially high risk for Type 2 Diabetes.
  

That said, anyone can develop this disease. If you think you may be at risk, or have one or several of the symptoms below, talk to your doctor and have yourself tested for diabetes as soon as possible. People in the high-risk categories may want to get an annual test to monitor blood glucose levels.

Symptoms can include:

• Lethargy or lack of energy
  


• Constant or extreme hunger
  


• Dry skin
  


• Intense thirst
  


• Tingling or numbness in the extremities
  


• Tendency to get infections
  


• Slow healing of minor wounds and abrasions
  


• Sudden changes in the level of vision
  


• Hypo- or hyper-glycemia
  


• Depression
  

If you do have diabetes, don’t panic.  There are a number of ways to control your glucose levels and live a healthy, long life. Your doctor will talk to you about the various medications that may be helpful to you in controlling your diabetes, and may recommend a daily blood-glucose monitoring device, but you should also develop a plan for nutritional support and exercise. This plan, if followed, will likely have the additional bonus of weight loss, which can help control the disease as well.