How to find the right type 2 diabetes treatment

Here are some considerations that you and your doctor will consider when deciding on treatment.
Blood sugar levels: If they stay too high for too long, you run the risk of diabetes complications, like eye problems or kidney disease. If your blood sugar is higher than it should be, your doctor may add another medicine to your treatment plan or increase your dose to bring you back to a healthy level.
How long you've had diabetes : If you've had it for more than 10 years, some diabetes medications may not help. But if you've just been diagnosed, your doctor may not recommend insulin as the first treatment you try. Also, your treatment plan may change over time, as some medicines will be less effective if you take them for a long time.
Other health problems : Some conditions you may have along with diabetes can affect how well your medicine controls your blood sugar, including:
Obesity High blood pressure High cholesterol Disease heart Kidney disease Sleep apnea or other sleep problems Depression Some diabetes medications can also help you treat other health problems or reduce your odds of getting them. For example, drugs called GLP-1 agonists help you feel full longer after eating. This can help you lose extra pounds if you're overweight. Studies show that the drug also helps protect against heart disease and kidney disease.
How active you are: Exercise can lower your blood sugar. That's a good thing, but you need to include it in your treatment plan. Talk to your doctor about how often you move each day. You may need to change the dosage of some diabetes medications if you are more active in your daily life or at work.
You drink alcohol: Alcohol can lower your blood sugar for hours, so it affects the effectiveness of insulin or diabetes medications. Let your doctor know how much you drink, and if you want to be able to sip a beer or cocktail every once in a while, there are a few factors you may need to keep in mind to make sure it doesn't affect the medications you take. using.
Fear of needles: If you can't stand the injections, you can ask someone else to help you with the injection, which is key to blood sugar control. So talk to your doctor if you're afraid of needles or don't feel confident giving yourself a shot. Some diabetes medications come in the form of a pen-like device and are easier to use than syringes and vials. Your doctor or nurse can show you how to use them. You can also take insulin that you can use by breathing in through your nose.

You have many options to control your diabetes. Food, exercise, and a combination of medications work together to control blood sugar.
Your doctor will help you find out if you need medication, which is right for you, and how often you should take it.
Sometimes the medicine stops working and you will have to switch to another treatment. You will need to adjust to the changes in your body as you age. And researchers are looking for new drugs and cures for diabetes.
Medications are often the first medication that patients with type 2 diabetes try when diet and exercise aren't enough to keep their blood sugar at a reasonable level. There are many different types of medications that are used and they work in different ways.
Biguanides: This group includes metformin, one of the drugs most commonly used to treat diabetes. It acts on the liver to keep some of the glucose it makes. Meglitinides and sulfonylureas. These drugs act on the pancreas to make more insulin. DPP-4 inhibitors keep your body from breaking down the hormones that supply your pancreas, the "go" signal for insulin. This means they work longer when you need to lower your blood sugar after a meal. Thiazolidinediones, TZDs, or glitazones: These drugs help insulin work better. They reduce insulin resistance from the cells so that the pancreas does not have to work too hard. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors slow the digestion of foods with complex carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and corn. This keeps blood sugar from rising after you eat. SGLT2 inhibitors work by allowing the kidneys to excrete extra sugar. Bile acid sequestrants lower cholesterol and may also help lower blood sugar. You can take these medicines alone or in combination with other medicines, including insulin. Some pills contain more than one drug. Dopamine receptor agonists act directly on the brain to help it process dopamine. Therefore, this can increase your sensitivity to insulin so that your body doesn't need too much insulin. People taking dopamine receptor agonists should also make some lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet and exercise to make the drug more effective. The injection slows the rate at which food leaves the stomach and makes you feel full. And they send signals to the liver to stop making glucose during mealtimes.
GLP-1 receptor agonists help the pancreas make insulin. Some of them you take daily, while others last a week. Pramlintide (symlin) works like a hormone, amylin, that the pancreas secretes along with insulin. You only take it if you are also using insulin. Insulin therapy can be a short-term solution to an emergency situation or because other medications aren't enough to control your blood sugar. Types of insulin are grouped by how quickly they start to work and how long the effects last. You may have to use more than one type of insulin.
You can take insulin in a number of ways:
Injection: You fill a syringe from an insulin vial and inject yourself. You choose a position and rotate between your stomach, thighs, buttocks, and biceps. Insulin pump: It connects to a small needle under the skin to deliver a steady amount of insulin throughout the day. Insulin Pen: It looks like a pen but has a needle at the end. Some come pre-filled with insulin, while others come with a container that you can use instead. Inhaler: this is powdered insulin. Injection port: This tube goes under your skin and allows you to use a needle and syringe or pen without having to change into a different spot each time. You keep the injection port in place for a week and then replace it with a new one in a new location. Jet injector: This injects insulin into your skin at high pressure instead of using a needle. Weight loss surgery helps to get rid of extra pounds. And only that will help control blood sugar. However, it also increases the level of hormones in the gut called incretins. These act on the pancreas to make insulin. Over time, you may take less medicine. However, it's not for everyone. Doctors usually only recommend weight loss surgery for men who are at least 45kg and women who are at least 36kg.

You will need lifestyle changes to help you successfully manage type 2 diabetes:
Weight loss: Losing 5% to 10% of your body weight, which can reduce A1c levels and cardiovascular disease risk. It can help you cut back on medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Losing weight can also reduce symptoms of depression and help with sleep apnea. A healthy diet: There is no one-size-fits-all diet for people with diabetes. You'll need to pay attention to carbs, fiber, fat, and salt to control blood sugar and avoid diabetes complications. How much and when to eat is also very important. You further consult with nutritionists to plan your main meals and snacks. Physical activity: From exercise to housework, activity helps lower blood sugar. It helps cells use insulin. It also helps your muscles use glucose. You need to check your blood sugar before and after exercise. Sleep better: Not getting enough sleep may increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place. How long you sleep and the quality of your sleep can raise your A1c level, a test doctors use to check your average blood sugar level over 3 months. That means improving your sleep can lead to a lower glycemic index. In addition, you should go to your doctor regularly to have certain tests done to see how well your diabetes is under control, including the following steps:
Monitor your blood sugar: You will use a blood glucose meter to monitor your blood sugar levels. Check your blood sugar when ordered by your doctor. Regular checkups: Your doctor will check your A1c and cholesterol levels, along with tests to make sure your thyroid, liver, and kidneys are working properly. Regular eye exams: Your doctor will check for signs of retinopathy, the nerve damage in your eyes caused by diabetes. Regular foot exams: Your doctor will check for foot problems and nerve damage in your legs. The glycemic index tells you how effective your treatment is. Your doctor will tell you how many times a day you need to be tested. It depends on the diabetes medicine you are taking.
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Reference source: webmd.com