Type 2 Diabetes: Recently Diagnosed

Is this topic for you?

This topic provides information for adults who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within the last 6 weeks. If this topic does not answer your questions, see:

• Type 2 Diabetes, if you want to learn about type 2 diabetes.
• Type 2 Diabetes: Living With the Disease, if you have had type 2 diabetes for more than a month.
• Type 2 Diabetes in Children, if your child has type 2 diabetes.
• Type 2 Diabetes: Living With Complications, if you have eye, kidney, heart, nerve, or blood vessel disease caused by diabetes.

If you are looking for information about type 1 diabetes, see the topic Type 1 Diabetes.

What is type 2 diabetes?

The cells in your body need insulin to change glucose, the sugar that comes from the food you eat, into the energy you need to live. Without insulin, this sugar cannot get into your cells to do its work. It stays in your blood instead. Your blood sugar level then gets too high.

Type 2 diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance. This means that your pancreas is making enough insulin, but your cells are not able to use it. When your cells don't get the sugar they need, your pancreas works harder at first to make more insulin. But after a while, your pancreas stops being able to make enough insulin.

High blood sugar can harm many parts of the body. It can damage blood vessels and nerves throughout your body. You will have a bigger chance of getting eye, heart, blood vessel, nerve, and kidney disease.

Your weight, level of physical activity, and family history affect how your body responds to insulin. People who are overweight, get little or no exercise, or have diabetes in the family are more likely to get type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is usually found in adults, which is why it used to be called adult-onset diabetes. But now more and more children and teens are getting it too.

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that you will always have, but you can live a long and healthy life by learning how to manage it.

What are the symptoms?

Many people have symptoms such as increased thirst and urination, weight loss, and blurred vision. Some people do not have symptoms, especially when diabetes is diagnosed early.

How is type 2 diabetes diagnosed?

Most likely you found out that you have diabetes when you saw your doctor for a regular checkup or for some other problem. Your doctor probably diagnosed type 2 diabetes by examining you, asking about your health history, and looking at the results of blood sugar tests.

How is it treated?

A healthy diet helps keep your blood sugar under control and helps prevent heart disease. Eating the right amount of carbohydrate at each meal is very important. Carbohydrate is found in sugar and sweets, grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, and milk and yogurt. A dietitian or a certified diabetes educator can help you plan your meals.

Eating right and getting more exercise are enough for some people to control their blood sugar levels. Others also need to take one or more medicines, including insulin.

You may need to take other steps to prevent other problems from diabetes. These problems are called complications. People with diabetes are more likely to die from heart and blood vessel problems like heart attack and stroke. If you are 40 or older, talk to your doctor about taking a low-dose aspirin each day to help prevent these or other large blood vessel diseases. You may also need medicine for high blood pressure or high cholesterol. If you smoke, quitting may help you avoid problems with your heart and large blood vessels.

What kind of daily care do you need?

The key to managing your diabetes is to keep your blood sugar level as close to normal as you can. You do this by eating right, exercising, and checking your blood sugar level as recommended by your doctor. Some people also need to take medicine. Learning the skills you need to manage your diabetes will take time, but soon they will become part of your daily routine.

It can be hard to accept that you have diabetes, especially if you have no symptoms. Feeling angry or frightened can prevent you from following your treatment plan. Talking about your feelings may help. Your doctor or other health professionals can help you cope with your diagnosis.

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