Signs of type 2 diabetes

Doctor Tran Nguyen Quynh Tram, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that type 2 diabetes is caused by the body's inability to use insulin, or using insulin ineffectively like normal people.

Causes of type 2 diabetes

The pancreas is responsible for producing the hormone insulin. Insulin helps cells convert carbohydrates (glucose) from the foods we eat into energy.

However, in people with type 2 diabetes, although the body produces insulin, the cells do not use it, or use it ineffectively.

To prevent sugar from remaining in the blood, the pancreas produces more insulin to deal with the “stock” glucose and bring it into the cells. At some point, when the pancreas can no longer produce a steady amount of insulin, the glucose that is not used for energy will accumulate in the blood and cause disease.

Below are the factors that promote and combine to create the cause of the disease:

- Genes: Scientists have found different pieces of DNA that affect how the body makes insulin.

- Overweight/obesity: Considered to be the cause of type 2 diabetes due to insulin resistance. However, not everyone who is overweight has type 2 diabetes. Overweight and obese people have a risk of developing type 2 diabetes about 6 times higher than normal people.

- Metabolic syndrome: People with insulin resistance often face a cluster of symptoms including high blood sugar, excess fat around the waist, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides.

- The liver loses its balance in “regulating” glucose. Insulin itself plays a role in transporting glucose into cells to create energy to nourish the body or storing it in the liver as glycogen when the body has excess glucose. However, in some cases, the liver's ability to balance glucose metabolism is impaired, leading to insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and diabetes.

- Cells do not use insulin effectively, so glucose cannot nourish the body. This can cause a chain reaction, leading to type 2 diabetes.

- Beta cells gradually lose function over time. As a result, pancreatic beta cells do not secrete enough insulin to compensate for insulin resistance.

Signs of type 2 diabetes

So what are the signs of type 2 diabetes? The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be mild and go unnoticed. Symptoms include extreme thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, irritability, and tingling or numbness in the hands or feet.

Also, watch for other signs like fatigue, wounds that don't heal, yeast infections that keep coming back, feeling hungry, losing weight without trying, and getting more infections.

Dark, bumpy skin around the neck or armpits (acanthosis nigricans) may be a sign that the body is becoming resistant to insulin.

Preventing type 2 diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes can control their condition by eating a healthy diet and exercising every day. Doctors may prescribe oral medications, other injections, or insulin to control blood sugar levels and avoid complications.

People with type 2 diabetes still need to eat healthy and be active every day if they take insulin or other medications. The important goal is to keep blood pressure and cholesterol close to the goals recommended by your doctor and to have necessary screening tests.

You need to check your blood sugar regularly. Ask your doctor how often you should check and what your target blood sugar level should be. Keeping your blood sugar as close to your target range as possible can help prevent or delay complications related to diabetes.

Stress can make it harder to manage diabetes, including managing blood sugar and daily diabetes care. Regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, and practicing relaxation exercises may help; talk to your doctor about ways to manage stress.

In addition, patients need to maintain regular check-ups to make sure they are on the right track in controlling type 2 diabetes.

According to VTC