Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It usually happens in adulthood and comes on gradually. Before you develop diabetes, you may develop prediabetes, which means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diabetes.

Your Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic doctor can diagnose diabetes and prediabetes and help you make changes to bring your blood sugar levels down and manage your health.

What is Type 2 diabetes?

Diabetes occurs when the level of sugar in your blood (blood glucose) is too high. When you have Type 2 diabetes, your body might not make enough insulin – a hormone that helps your body use the sugar in your blood. Or you may have a condition called insulin resistance, where your body doesn’t use insulin well enough.

With either of these problems, too much glucose stays in your blood instead of being released to use for energy and bodily functions. Over time, higher levels of blood glucose can lead to serious problems with your heart, eyes, kidneys and feet.

Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes

You have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes if you are older, obese, have a family history of diabetes or do not exercise.

Having prediabetes also increases your risk. Prediabetes is a condition where your blood sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Some genetic risk factors for Type 2 diabetes are:

• Having a family member with either Type 2 diabetes or other medical problems associated with diabetes, such as high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure or obesity.
• The lifetime risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is five to 10 times higher in first-degree relatives (sister, brother, son, daughter) of a person with diabetes compared with a person with no family history of diabetes.

The likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes is greater in certain ethnic groups, such as people of Hispanic, African and Asian descent.

Environmental factors such as what you eat and how active you are, combined with genetic causes, affect the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes vs. Type 1 diabetes

Both Type 2 diabetes and Type 1 diabetes have similar symptoms. But Type 2 diabetes usually happens in adulthood. It develops because your body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Type 1 diabetes almost always starts before you become an adult. It happens because your body stops making insulin or makes very little insulin.

Gestational diabetes

Up to 9% of pregnant women in the U.S. develop diabetes during pregnancy, which is called gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is similar to Type 2 diabetes, but it usually resolves after giving birth. People who develop gestational diabetes are at increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.

What are the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes?

The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes appear slowly. Some people do not notice any symptoms.

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes may include:

• Being very thirsty
• Urinating often
• Feeling very hungry or tired
• Losing weight without trying
• Having sores that heal slowly
• Having blurry eyesight

Diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes

Blood tests can show if you have diabetes. One type of test, the A1C, can also check on how you’ve been managing your diabetes over time.

Treatment for Type 2 diabetes

Many people can manage their Type 2 diabetes through healthy eating, physical activity and blood glucose testing. Some people with Type 2 diabetes also need to take diabetes medicines or insulin.

Related conditions

Barrett’s esophagus

Cardiac arrest

Diabetic eye disease

Type 1 diabetes