Type 2 diabetes

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Type 2 diabetes

Alternative Names:

Noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; Diabetes - type 2

Treatment:

The first goals are to eliminate the symptoms and stabilize your blood glucose levels. The ongoing goals are to prevent long-term complications and prolong your life. The primary treatment for type 2 diabetes is exercise and diet.

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LEARN THESE SKILLS

You should learn basic diabetes management skills. They will help prevent complications and the need for medical care. These skills include:

How to test and record your blood glucose (see blood glucose monitoring)
What to eat and when
How to take medications, if indicated
How to recognize and treat low and high blood sugar
How to handle sick days
Where to buy diabetes supplies and how to store them

It may take several months to learn the basic skills. Always continue to educate yourself aboutthe diseaseand its complications, as well as how to control and live with diabetes. Over time, stay current on new research and treatment.

SELF-TESTING

Regular self-testing of your blood sugar tells you how well your combination of diet, exercise, and medication are working. Tests are usually done before meals and at bedtime. More frequent testing may beneeded when you are sick or under stress.

A device called a glucometer can provide an exact blood sugar reading. There are different types of devices. Usually,you prick your finger with asmall needle called a lancet, which gives you a tiny drop of blood. You place the bloodon a test strip, and putthe strip intothe device. Results are available within 30 to 45 seconds.

A health care provider or diabetes educator will help set up an appropriate testing schedule for you. You will also be taught how to respond to different ranges of glucose values obtained when you self-test.

The results of the test can be used to adjust meals, activity, or medications to keep blood sugar levels in an appropriate range. Testing provides valuable information for the health care provider and identifies high and low blood sugar levels before serious problems develop.

Accurate record keeping of test results will help you and your health care provideplan how to best control your diabetes.