From Diet To Drugs: Treating Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes Mellitus is a complex and chronic medical condition in which glucose accumulates in your bloodstream. This excess glucose (or sugar)

levels prevent the pancreas from secreting sufficient amounts of insulin to move glucose from your bloodstream into your cells. In simple terms, when you have type 2 diabetes, your body’s cells become insulin resistant and cause high blood glucose levels. This leads to several symptoms and high-risk health complications. Type 2 diabetes is a progressive illness that has no cure. Therefore, proper diabetic management or glycemic control is mandatory to ensure good health. Read on to find out about the various treatment methods for proper diabetic management and control – from diet to drugs.

Effective Management Of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a slow killer. There is a real risk in this disease as initially, the symptoms may be mild and easily dismissive. However, as the illness advances, the symptoms become severe and inherently threatening. Some of the few symptoms include weight loss, frequent urination, vision loss, yeast infection, slow healing of wounds, etc. If or when you disregard these mild symptoms, this illness alleviates and causes more harmful health conditions such as organ failure, critical cardiovascular events, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunction, and even nerve damage. Type 2 diabetes can be efficiently managed by following the guidelines recommended by your medical practitioner. Your doctor will explain how to practice effective diabetes control by advising a suitable treatment plan customized to cater to your individual health needs. Long-term and effective management of type 2 diabetes includes major lifestyle changes such as consuming a healthy diet, regular exercise, blood glucose monitoring, and possible medication or insulin therapy. However, pharmaceutical intervention has limits as they lose effectiveness in the long term. Most research suggests the need for natural medicine and implementation of dietary or lifestyle transitions. Your treatment plan may include one or a couple of the afore-mentioned method(s), depending on your diagnosis or condition. As such, you must seek guidance from a doctor for a proper treatment plan suiting your needs.

Diabetes Control: A Drug-free Approach

Diabetic management does not necessarily imply taking drugs and other medical supplements. According to empirical studies, more than 50 percent of diabetics take oral medications to help control blood sugar levels. Nevertheless, natural approaches to treat and prevent type 2 diabetes are also receiving rave reviews all across the world. Such approaches are deemed to have zero side-effects as opposed to drugs and other medicaments. Besides, lifestyle changes are an important therapy for type 2 diabetes as a change in diet, increased physical activities, etc. leads to the natural management of this disease. In such cases, drug or medication usage can be modified or even becomes redundant. Some of the benefits of using a natural and drug-free approach to diabetes include:

• Reduces the side effects of medications and insulin.
• Maintains your blood sugar levels within a healthy range without risking hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia.
• Keeps both minor and major symptoms of diabetes in check.
• Significantly improves insulin sensitivity thereby enhancing glucose tolerance.
• Fosters weight loss and thus makes your cells more resistant to insulin.

Few key actions necessary to effectively manage type 2 diabetes naturally are:

• Eating food that maintains steady sugar levels. Some food items include whole grains, food with omega-3 fatty acids, non-starchy vegetables, flax seeds, nuts, cinnamon, fenugreek, etc.
• Avoid overeating and try to eat your meals on schedule. Skipping meals is not advisable either. However, steer clear of fried and salty foods that are heavy in saturated or trans fat.
• Being active mitigates symptoms of diabetes and aids in proper glycemic control. Walking for 30 to 45 minutes every day, or for 15 minutes after every meal, is also considered to effectively control type 2 diabetes and, keep your heart healthy.
• The quality and quantity of your sleep have a direct impact on your A1c levels. Test doctors analyze your average glucose readings over a period of 3 months for the same. Therefore, improving your sleep improves your blood sugar levels.

Medications For Glycaemic control

Many prescription medications help mitigate high blood glucose levels in your body when diet and exercise alone do not suffice to keep your sugar level in check. Most of these medications are oral drugs, but few come as injections as well. Insulin therapy is predominantly advised for type 1 diabetes, although in rare cases people with type 2 diabetes may also need to take insulin shots. Some of the few drugs administered for glycemic control are as follows:

• Biguanides or metformin, which reduces sugar production in your liver.
• Sulfonylureas or meglitinides, which increase insulin production in your pancreas.
• Thiazolidinediones or TZDs decrease insulin resistance in your body.
•  Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 or DPP4 inhibitors, which slow down food digestion to prevent blood sugar spikes after your meal.
• Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 or SGLT2 inhibitors, which aid avert excess glucose absorption by kidneys.

Most of these prescription medications may or may not cause side-effects. Since these pills work differently, they are either prescribed by themselves, or in combination with other drugs depending on your needs. Injections also aid in a similar way to treat your diabetes.

Guidelines For A Successful Type 2 Diabetes Treatment

There are certain measures or guidelines that a diabetic patient should adhere to for better management and treatment of Type 2 diabetes. These include:

1. A non-sedentary lifestyle- Any physical activity lowers your sugar levels and aids your cells to utilize insulin efficiently. Hence, regular exercise is close to mandatory for better diabetic management.
2. A healthy diet- To manage your type 2 diabetes effectively, one should pay attention to what, how much, and when you eat your meals. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about your nutrition and help you manage your food intake.
3. Regular blood glucose monitoring- It is imperative that you closely monitor your sugar levels to prevent hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia. Both conditions are potentially dangerous for your health. Glucometers can be used to check your sugar levels at suitable intervals.
4.  Periodic check-ups- You need to consult your doctor regularly to discuss your diabetic treatment plan. Do not wait till irregular sugar level readings or to experience symptoms to go see your doctor. Regular check-ups are necessary to rule out high health-risks and to maintain the virtues of your treatment plan.

Conclusion

Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle. This dreadful illness can also be treated via natural drug-free approaches or by taking specific medications. Regardless of the approach, it is vital to consider that no single treatment plan, whether a drug or non-drug approach, is suitable for everyone. Your doctor determines what treatment plan works for you best. The results of such tests demonstrate whether your treatment plan is working for you or not. An elevated glucose level needs to be addressed immediately to prevent any further consequences. It also evaluates the efficacy of your treatment plan. The goal of your treatment is to monitor your glucose levels periodically, understand the intensity of your diabetic condition and then chose the treatment plan what best suits you after expert diagnosis. Ultimately what is important is to regulate your glucose levels to lead a healthy and happy life with your loved ones.