What does glucose have to do with diabetes

After many years, diabetes can lead to serious health problems, and as a result, many other symptoms. To confirm the diagnosis, one or more of the following tests must be done. If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you need to work closely with your provider.

See your provider as often as instructed. This may be every 3 months. The following exams and tests will help you and your provider monitor your diabetes and prevent problems. Your provider may want to check your vitamin B12 blood levels if you are taking the drug metformin. At first, the goal of treatment is to lower your high blood glucose level. Long-term goals are to prevent complications. These are health problems that can result from having diabetes.

The most important way to treat and manage type 2 diabetes is by being active and eating healthy foods. Everyone with diabetes should receive proper education and support about the best ways to manage their diabetes. Ask your provider about seeing a certified diabetes care and education specialist and a dietitian.

Learning diabetes management skills will help you live well with diabetes. These skills help prevent health problems and the need for medical care. Skills include:. It may take several months to learn these skills. Keep learning about diabetes, its complications, and how to control and live well with the disease. Stay up-to-date on new research and treatments. Make sure you are getting information from trustworthy sources, such as your provider and diabetes educator.

Checking your blood sugar level yourself and writing down the results tells you how well you are managing your diabetes. Talk to your provider and diabetes educator about how often to check. To check your blood sugar level, you use a device called a glucose meter. Usually, you prick your finger with a small needle, called a lancet. This gives you a tiny drop of blood. You place the blood on a test strip and put the strip into the meter. The meter gives you a reading that tells you the level of your blood sugar.

Your provider or diabetes educator will help set up a testing schedule for you. Your provider will help you set a target range for your blood sugar numbers. Keep these factors in mind:. Keep a record of your blood sugar for yourself and your provider. Based on your numbers, you may need to make changes to your meals, activity, or medicines to keep your blood sugar level in the right range. Always bring your blood glucose meter to medical appointments so the data can be downloaded and discussed.

Your provider may recommend that you use a continuous glucose monitor CGM to measure blood sugar if:. The CGM has a sensor that is inserted just under the skin to measure glucose in your tissue fluid every 5 minutes. Work closely with your health care providers to learn how much fat, protein, and carbohydrates you need in your diet. Your meal plans should fit your lifestyle and habits and should include foods that you like.

Managing your weight and having a well-balanced diet are important. Some people with type 2 diabetes can stop taking medicines after losing weight. This does not mean that their diabetes is cured. They still have diabetes. Obese people whose diabetes is not well managed with diet and medicine may consider weight loss bariatric surgery.

Regular activity is important for everyone. It is even more important when you have diabetes. Exercise is good for your health because it:. Talk to your provider before starting any exercise program. People with type 2 diabetes may need to take special steps before, during, and after physical activity or exercise, including adjusting doses of insulin if needed.

If diet and exercise do not help keep your blood sugar at normal or near-normal levels, your provider may prescribe medicine. Since these drugs help lower your blood sugar level in different ways, your provider may have you take more than one drug.

Some of the most common types of medicines are listed below. They are taken by mouth or injection. You may need to take insulin if your blood sugar cannot be controlled with some of the above medicines.

Most commonly, insulin is injected under the skin using a syringe, insulin pen, or pump. Another form of insulin is the inhaled type. Insulin cannot be taken by mouth because the acid in the stomach destroys the insulin. Your provider may prescribe medicines or other treatments to reduce your chance of developing some of the more common complications of diabetes , including:. Start Here. Diagnosis and Tests. Living With. Related Issues. What Is the Difference between Hyperglycemia and Hypoglycemia?

American Foundation for the Blind. Statistics and Research. Clinical Trials. Article: Fasting blood glucose was linearly associated with colorectal cancer risk in Article: Comparison of sequential feeding and continuous feeding on the blood glucose Diabetes is a progressive disease.

Even if you don't need to treat your diabetes with medications at first, you may need to over time. Gestational diabetes is diabetes that develops during pregnancy. For most women, blood sugar levels will return to normal after giving birth.

And if you've had gestational diabetes, you will need to be tested regularly since you are at much higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

It is important to understand what can make your blood sugar rise or fall, so that you can take steps to stay on target. Log in menu Manage Account Search. Donate now. Blood Sugar and Insulin at Work. The basics of high blood sugar Diabetes is a problem with your body that causes blood sugar also called blood glucose levels to rise higher than normal. Learn more about blood sugar Learn more about insulin Type 1 In type 1 diabetes, your immune system mistakenly treats the beta cells in your pancreas that make insulin as foreign invaders and destroys them.

Type 2 If you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not use insulin properly.