Type 2 Diabetes: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Explained

Type 2 Diabetes is a chronic health issue. It occurs when your body is completely resistant to insulin, and sugar buildup in the blood keeps increasing. If not managed or treated, it can cause damage to your eyes, kidneys, and heart.

Learning about the Type 2 Diabetes symptoms, causes, and treatment options can help you or your loved one live a healthy life. So, keep reading this post till the end.

Table of Content

•  What is Type 2 Diabetes?
• Common Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
• What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?
• Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis and Treatment Options 

What Is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 Diabetes is usually a lifelong health issue. It occurs when the body does not respond to insulin properly, meaning it is completely resistant to insulin. With time, the pancreas lowers insulin production. 

Insulin is a type of hormone that controls the movement of sugar/glucose into cells that use it as energy. When sugar/glucose can’t enter cells, extra glucose builds up in the blood, and your body cannot use it.

Your doctor may diagnose you with Type 2 Diabetes if your blood sugar levels are higher than 126 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) after fasting for 8 hours. 

You are not alone. According to a 2024 World Health Organisation report, the world had around 830 million diabetic people in 2022. This number was only 200 million in 1990. In India, approximately 77 million people are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms  

Generally, the signs and symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes can be mild. So, most of you do not know you are suffering from it. According to WebMD, around 9 million people suffer from Type 2 Diabetes but they are not aware of it:

Here are common Type 2 Diabetes symptoms:

• Constant hunger
• Fatigue
• A lack of energy
• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Pain, numbness, or tingling in hands or feet
• Blurry vision
• Excessive weight loss or gain
• Slow-healing sores
• Darkened skin in the armpits or neck
• Frequent infections

What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?  

Usually, insulin resistance is the primary cause of Type 2 Diabetes. Here are some other Type 2 Diabetes causes that you should be aware of:

• Genes - According to the scientific studies done to date, your DNA affects your body’s ability to produce insulin.
• Extra body weight - Being obese or carrying extra weight can make your body resistant to insulin.
• Metabolic Syndrome - Diabetic people generally have a group of health conditions like high blood sugar, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides. Your blood sugar level goes up after taking meals. And your liver slows down the digestion and collects the glucose from food items for later usage. Some people’s livers do not do this.
• Broken Beta Cells - Your blood glucose is thrown off when the pancreatic cells send insulin out at the wrong time. High blood sugar, in the Type 2 Diabetes case, damages these cells. 
• Poor Communication Between Cells - Sometimes, the human body cells do not receive the message correctly or send the wrong signals. This poor communication between cells can lead to diabetes, or Type 2 Diabetes. 

Risk Factors

Certain things can increase your risk of Type 2 Diabetes. The addition of factors increases your chances of getting Type 2 Diabetes. Here are common risk factors:

• Age
• Family history
• Ethnicity - Alaska Native, African American, Asian American, Native American, Hispanic or Latino, etc.
• Prediabetes
• High blood pressure, even if it's treated and under control
• Heart and blood vessel disease
• Low HDL ("good") cholesterol
• Being overweight or obese
• High triglycerides
• Having a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
• Gestational diabetes when you were pregnant
• PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome)
• Depression
• Smoking
• Stress
• Lack of physical activity
• Not enough rest

Complications or Health Risks Associated with Type 2 Diabetes

If you ignore the visible symptoms and leave Type 2 Diabetes undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead you to several health issues. These health problems could be:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Eye damage (retinopathy)
• Foot ulcers and infections
• Kidney damage (nephropathy)
• Nerve damage (neuropathy)

Diagnosis for Type 2 Diabetes

You should consult a doctor as you experience any of the Type 2 Diabetes symptoms. The doctor can get varied information from blood work. Your doctor can ask you for the following tests:

• Haemoglobin A1C Test - It measures the average glucose levels in your blood for the last 2 to 3 months. This test does not require you to keep fast.
• Fasting Plasma Glucose Test - It measures how much sugar your plasma contains. Your healthcare provider will ask you to eat nothing for eight hours before coming for this test.
• Oral Glucose Tolerance Test - The healthcare provider will draw blood from your body three times - before taking glucose orally, an hour after, and two hours after. Its results will show how your body deals with the given sugar.  

Based on the test results, your doctor will provide all relevant information if the expert diagnoses you with Type 2 Diabetes. 

Type 2 Diabetes Treatments

Usually, the Type 2 Diabetes treatment includes the prescription of medicine and lifestyle modifications. Based on the results of your Type 2 Diabetes tests, your doctor will produce a personalised diabetes treatment plan that can include the following:

1. Medicine

Oral and injectable. The Type 2 Diabetes best medicine could be Metformin, Sulfonylureas, Thiazolidinediones, Meglitinides, Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, or Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists.

After talking to your doctor, you can take Ayurvedic diabetes capsules like Diabdex, Sugar Master, or Diabtose. Combine this medicine with a healthy lifestyle for better and instant results.

2. Dietary Considerations

• Include whole grains (oats and brown rice), legumes (rajma and moong daal), vegetables (like lauki and karela), and nuts & seeds in your daily diet. Follow this diet plan to manage your diabetes.
• Avoid white rice, maida, sweet foods, highly fried snacks, processed foods, and readymade fruit juices.
• Quit smoking and stay away from alcoholic beverages.

3. Lifestyle Modifications

No Type 2 Diabetes treatments will work if you take only medicines and do not modify your lifestyle habits. A healthy lifestyle habit generally includes:

• Go for a morning or evening walk for around 30 minutes a day or 150 minutes a week.
• Take enough rest. Aim to sleep for 6 to 9 hours a day.
• Make your effort to maintain a healthy body weight.
• Regularly monitor your blood sugar levels.

Final Words

You or your loved one can easily manage or reverse Type 2 Diabetes with particular lifestyle changes. If you experience certain Type 2 Diabetes symptoms or are diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, request your doctor to produce a personalised treatment plan.

Following the personalized Type 2 Diabetes treatment plan and modifying your lifestyle habits as per your doctor’s instructions will help you live a healthy and happy life.