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| Type 2 Diabetes |  Type 2 diabetes is one of two main types of diabetes. Formerly it was called non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Type 2 is different form type 1 diabetes. The difference is that people with type 2 diabetes still produce insulin in contrast to people with type 1 diabetes. But the body doesn't respond to the insulin properly.
Glucose can’t move into the cells and do its job of providing energy. In medicine this condition is called insulin resistance. This elevates the blood sugar level, making the pancreas produce even more insulin. Eventually, the pancreas becomes weak because of working overtime to produce extra insulin. Then, the pancreas may no longer be able to produce enough insulin to keep a person's blood sugar levels within a normal range.
Approximately 1/3 of people with type 2 diabetes have high blood pressure (hypertension) and / or irregular levels of fats (cholesterol) in their blood. This combination of diabetes with these two condition is called “the metabolic syndrome” or syndrome X.
Type 2 diabetes most often occurs in adult people usually after the ages of 30 – 40 years. Nevertheless, teenagers and children are also may be stricken with it.
Children and teens with type 2 diabetes have to follow a diet, perform physical exercise, and intake medicines that improve the body's response to insulin to regulate their blood sugar levels. Sometimes kids and teens with type 2 diabetes may need to take insulin shots or use an insulin pump, too.
In people with type 2 diabetes glucose can't enter the body's cells. When glucose gathers in the blood instead of going into cells, the body's cells cannot function properly.
Following problems are associated with the accumulation of glucose in the blood include:
- Retinopathy. People with type 2 diabetes will develop some form of eye problem. It is important to control sugars, blood pressure and cholesterol to prevent progression of eye disease. The vision loss isn't significant in most.
- Kidney damage. The chance of kidney disease increases with time. This condition may cause such serious illness as kidney failure and heart disease.
- Poor blood circulation and nerve damage. Hardening of the arteries and damage to nerves cause decreased sensation and poor blood circulation in the feet. This can lead to increased infections and ulcers which cure poorly and can in turn increase the chance of amputation. Damage to nerves may cause such problems as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
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