What You Need to Know About Type 2 Diabetes

You may have heard a lot about type 2 diabetes, especially as it relates to Covid 19 risk factors. However, unless type 2 diabetes touches your life, you may be unaware of exactly what it is, how it’s different from Type 1 diabetes, or whether you have risk factors for this disease. Here are a number of things that you should know:

Diabetes is a term used to describe a condition of elevated levels of sugar, called glucose, in your blood. Type 1 diabetes is the result of your body’s inability to manufacture enough insulin, which is the hormone that helps guide glucose into your cells. Without adequate insulin, your blood glucose becomes too high, and if not controlled, can be fatal. There’s no cure for type 1 diabetes, and people who have this kind need to take insulin to control their blood sugar. About 8% of people with diabetes have type 1.

Far more common, is type 2 diabetes, which affects about 90% of all people who have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body is unable to make enough insulin or if the insulin you make doesn’t usher glucose into your cells. While some people who have type 2 diabetes have to take insulin, it’s possible for others to manage their elevated blood sugar through diet and other lifestyle changes.

Having type 2 diabetes has been found to increase your risk of becoming severely ill if you should contract Covid 19. In addition to your risk of severe Covid symptoms, people with type 2 diabetes also are a risk for other health problems. These include neuropathy (a kind of nerve damage), kidney problems, heart disease, an increased risk for having a stroke, vision issues, and liver disease. Unfortunately, because the early symptoms of type 2 diabetes are subtle, sometimes damage from this disease may have already occurred before a person has been diagnosed.

While the early symptoms of type 2 diabetes may not be noticed at first, they become more obvious as this condition develops. Early signs include frequently feeling thirsty, increased urination, fatigue, changes in your vision, numbness or tingling in your hands or feet, sores that are slow to heal, and weight loss.

While the underlying cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, there are several factors that increase your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. They include:

• Having a family history of diabetes
• Being older than 45
• Being diagnosed with prediabetes. This is a condition of elevated blood sugar, but not high enough to be called diabetes
• Having a history of gestational diabetes during a pregnancy
• Being significantly overweight or obese
• Physical inactivity
• Having elevated blood pressure

There is no cure for diabetes, however for people with type 2 diabetes there is hope, because some patients are able to control their condition and even bring down their blood sugar to healthy levels through changes in their diet, weight loss, and incorporating physical activity into their life. Scientists have discovered that with the right combination of lifestyle changes, some people with type 2 diabetes have successfully lowered their blood sugar levels, been able to avoid taking medications, and have been able to control their diabetes for a long time, even permanently.

In addition to diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight, a body of research exists that supports the use of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is considered to be an endocrine condition, which means it’s a disease associated with your body’s complicated system of hormones and glands. Scientists have discovered that acupuncture treatments actually help to regulate your hormones through your body’s HPA axis, which is the interconnected system of hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands in your brain.

Another way that acupuncture helps patients with type 2 diabetes is through its ability to relieve stress. Acupuncture bumps up the circulation of certain neurotransmitters in your brain that boost your mood and help you feel calm. Lower stress translates into better balanced stress hormones—cortisol, adrenalin, and most importantly, insulin. Essentially, when you control your stress, you’re also helping to control your insulin levels. And some early research suggests that acupuncture may also work to reduce blood glucose, enhance insulin production, and promote better glucose tolerance.

In addition to acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine may also be helpful in targeting your symptoms of type 2 diabetes, as well as extending the effects of your acupuncture treatments. Chinese food therapy can also be effective for weight management, controlling food cravings, and enhancing digestion.

There a many factors that contribute to the progression of type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, this is a condition that responds to healthy lifestyle strategies and complementary treatments. If you’re looking for a safe and effective plan for managing your type 2 diabetes, consider acupuncture and Chinese medicine.