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Insulin, Medicines, & Other Diabetes Treatments Taking insulin or other diabetes medicines is often part of treating diabetes. Along with healthy food choices and physical activity, medicine can help you manage the disease. Some other treatment options are also available. What medicines might I take for diabetes? The medicine you take will vary by your type of diabetes and how well the medicine controls your blood glucose levels, also called blood sugar. Other factors, such as your other health conditions, medication costs, and your daily schedule may play a role in what diabetes medicine you take. Type 1 diabetes If you have  type 1 diabetes , you must take insulin because your body no longer makes this hormone. You will need to take insulin several times during the day, including with meals. You also could use an insulin pump, which gives you small, steady doses throughout the day. Type 2 diabetes Some people with  type 2 diabetes ...

preventing Type 2 Diabetes Perhaps you have learned that you have a high chance of developing type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes. You might be overweight or have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes. Maybe you had gestational diabetes, which is diabetes that develops during pregnancy. These are just a few examples of factors that can raise your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and eye and foot problems. Prediabetes also can cause health problems. The good news is that type 2 diabetes can be delayed or even prevented. The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop health problems, so delaying diabetes by even a few years will benefit your health.  You can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by losing a modest amount of weight by following a reduced-calorie eating plan and being physically active most days of the we...

Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes Your chances of developing  type 2 diabetes  depend on a combination of risk factors such as your genes and lifestyle. Although you can’t change risk factors such as family history, age, or ethnicity, you can change lifestyle risk factors around eating, physical activity, and weight. These lifestyle changes can affect your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Read about risk factors for type 2 diabetes below and see which ones apply to you. Taking action on the factors you can change can help you delay or prevent type 2 diabetes. You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are overweight or obese are age 45 or older have a family history of diabetes are African American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander have high blood pressure have a low level of HDL (“good”) cholesterol, or a high level of triglycerides have a h...

Symptoms & Causes of Diabetes What are the symptoms of diabetes? Symptoms of  diabetes  include increased thirst and urination increased hunger fatigue blurred vision numbness or tingling in the feet or hands sores that do not heal unexplained weight loss Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can start quickly, in a matter of weeks. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop slowly—over the course of several years—and can be so mild that you might not even notice them. Many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms. Some people do not find out they have the disease until they have diabetes-related health problems, such as blurred vision or heart trouble. What causes type 1 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes  occurs when your immune system, the body’s system for fighting infection, attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Scientists think type 1 diabetes is caused by genes and environmental factors, s...

What is diabetes? type 1, type 2 Diabetes is a serious complex condition which can affect the entire body. Diabetes requires daily self care and if complications develop, diabetes can have a significant impact on quality of life and can reduce life expectancy. While there is currently no cure for diabetes, you can live an enjoyable life by learning about the condition and effectively managing it. There are different types of diabetes; all types are complex and serious. The three main types of diabetes are  type 1 ,  type 2  and  gestational diabetes . HOW DOES DIABETES AFFECT THE BODY? When someone has diabetes, their body can’t maintain healthy levels of glucose in the blood. Glucose is a form of sugar which is the main source of energy for our bodies. Unhealthy levels of glucose in the blood can lead to long term and short term health complications. For our bodies to work properly we need to convert glucose (sugar) from food into energy. A ...

Type 2 diabetes - symptoms, diagnosis, treatment Diabetes is diagnosed when a person has too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. Type 2 diabetes is a life-long variation of the disease often associated with being overweight, and is the result of the body not producing enough insulin and/or being unable to respond to insulin. Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes develop gradually. The condition can cause serious health complications over time but can be managed with lifestyle changes and medication.