An introduction to type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition that can affect your everyday life. Around 90% of the people that have diabetes have type 2.

It may mean you need to change your diet, take medicines and have regular checkups.

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is caused by problems with a chemical in the body (a hormone) called insulin. It is a serious condition that can be lifelong.

With type 2 diabetes, your pancreas can't work correctly or make enough insulin.

This means your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels keep rising. It can cause symptoms like:

• Excessive thirst
• Needing to pee a lot
• Tiredness

It can also increase your risk of serious problems with your eyes, heart and nerves.

Causes and risk factors

Type 2 diabetes develops mainly in people older than 40 but can also occur in younger people.

It's often linked to being overweight or inactive or having a family history of type 2 diabetes.

It can come on slowly, and the signs may not be obvious, or there may be no signs. Therefore it might be up to 10 years before you find out you have it.

People who have ever had high blood pressure and those carrying extra weight, especially around their middle, are more at risk.

Things associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes:

• Smoking
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Having an inactive lifestyle

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes develops more slowly than type 1 diabetes. Many people don’t get any symptoms or don’t notice them. But you may notice:

• going to the toilet more often, especially at night
• feeling more tired because your body can't get enough glucose into your cells for energy
• losing weight without trying
• genital itching or thrush
• cuts and wounds taking longer to heal
• blurred vision
• feeling extremely thirsty.

It’s important to know that no individual is the same. The symptoms you experience won’t precisely match those of another person. However, the most common symptoms experienced by many people with diabetes are increased thirst, increased urination, feeling tired and losing weight.‍


How serious is type 2 diabetes?

Having type 2 diabetes without treatment is dangerous. High blood sugar levels can seriously damage parts of your body.

These are called complications of diabetes and can affect your eyes, heart and feet.

With the proper treatment and care, you can live well with type 2 diabetes. You can also reduce your risk of developing complications.

Can type 2 diabetes be cured?

There is currently no cure for type 2 diabetes. But, there is strong evidence to show that some people can put their type 2 diabetes into remission by losing weight.

Remission means your blood sugar levels are below the diabetes range, and you don’t need to take medicines.