Causes and Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease where the body is unable to regulate or produce insulin efficiently. About 88 million adults in the United States have prediabetes, which can progress into Type 2 Diabetes.
But, what are the causes of diabetes and symptoms that diabetics suffer from and should you get an online doctor consultation? The answer depends on the type of diabetes you suffer from.
This post will brief you on the different causes behind Type 2 Diabetes and how it manifests in diabetics.
Types of Diabetes
Type 1
Type 1 diabetes occurs due to an autoimmune response, where the body attacks its own insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This immune attack ceases all insulin production.
Type 2
Type 2 diabetes is where the body cannot regulate and break down sugar into glucose, resulting in higher blood sugar levels.
Ultimately, high blood sugar levels result in various nervous, immune, and circulatory system disorders. About 90% of diabetics suffer from Type 2 Diabetes, making it the focus of our discussion today.
Causes of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetics suffer from two interconnected problems.
- The pancreas produces insufficient insulin(the hormone that instructs cells to absorb energy from sugar). This causes problems in regulating blood sugar levels.
- The cells absorb low sugar due to poor insulin response. These are insulin-resistant liver, fat, and muscle cells.
Without the necessary insulin levels, the body can’t break down the food you consume for energy. Presumably, this is where the pancreas has stopped working efficiently, resulting in excess sugar in the bloodstream.
Both Type1 and Type 2 occur in children and adults. However, Type 2 Diabetes is more common in older adults. In recent years, childhood obesity has raised the number of cases in the younger population, also observed in virtual doctor consultations during the outbreak.
The exact reason for this is unknown, although obesity and lack of exercise are big factors for the development of Type 2 Diabetes.
Usually, a combination of things causes type 2 diabetes. Other factors might include:
- Obesity: The body can become resistant to insulin due to obesity.
- Genetics: Different gene parts determine insulin resistance and insulin secretion in our bodies.
- Damaged beta cells: Blood sugar can fluctuate abnormally if the cells producing the insulin disperse it in the wrong amounts or at the wrong time. These cells can get broken by high blood sugar.
- Excess glucose from the liver: The liver starts supplying glucose when your blood sugar is low. Normally, the liver should stop glucose production at the next meal, but it doesn’t in some diabetic cases, resulting in excess sugar.
- Metabolism: Insulin-resistant diabetics often also suffer from high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and excess triglycerides.
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes symptoms usually present themselves very slowly. Often, people live with the condition for years without knowing it.
But eventually, they manifest as:
- Increase in appetite –the urge to eat more food or more frequently.
- Weight loss – even with a regular diet, people with diabetes often lose weight without knowing why.
- Exessive thirst and dry mouth – this reduces sodium levels affecting the blood pressure
- Frequent urination – along with an affected kidney function, diabetics experience frequent urination, and the urine has an acidic smell
- Numbness or tingling sensation in the extremities – results in little to no sense of feeling
- Fatigue – feeling tired for no reason even after a good rest or sleep
- Frequent infections – including Yeast infections
- Blurry vision – often losing the ability to see for prolonged periods
- Irritability – suffering from mood swings and more prone to anger
- Slower-healing – wounds like cuts, scratches, and bruises take longer to heal
- Skin darkening – experiencing skin discoloration in places like the neck and armpits region
These symptoms mostly don’t show all at once. Usually, they present so slowly and subtly that even today, roughly 8 million people could have diabetes and not know it yet.
Treatment
As it stands, Type 2 diabetes doesn’t have a cure. Although due to the general public’s stationary lifestyle in recent years, a majority of patients were advised to lose weight in their online doctor’s appointments.
The right diet and exercise will help you lose weight, helping you deal with your diabetes. If you think diet and exercising aren’t helping you control your sugar levels, make a doctor’s appointment online now.
Get help from TelMDCare for any medical query, including chronic medical problems, dermatology, or sexually transmitted diseases. At TelMDCare, you can get in touch with doctors available online in several states across the country.
Founded in 2021, they have been at the forefront of affordable virtual healthcare. Insurance or not, they ensure their patients take care of themselves and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Make an online doctor‘s appointment at TelMDCare here.