Have you been recently told you have type 2 diabetes? It could be you were diagnosed several years ago! Even so, I am sure it was quite shocking when you received your diagnosis. Every person that has type 2 is going to have a different journey. No two people will have the same treatment. I will give you everything you need to know about type 2 diabetes below. Then you can explore the causes, diagnosis, symptoms, and complications of type 2 diabetes. HOW TO DIAGNOSE TYPE 2 DIABETES Glycated Hemoglobin Test This test will measure the amount of blood sugar (glucose) that has attached itself to hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the…

Understanding diabetes numbers will help you feel much better and have more control. These are the 8 numbers you need to know and why. Stick with me here, because if you want to manage your diabetes you need to know the numbers. Yet, it is not just about your blood sugar. There are 8 different numbers you need to be familiar with. These numbers will lower your risk of complications from diabetes symptoms. Although these numbers may not improve diabetes symptoms, it will decrease the risk of serious complications. A couple of these complications can be blindness or kidney failure down the road. Need to know a bit more about…

Should you get a tattoo if you are diabetic? If you have type 2 diabetes there is a risk of infection with open wounds. It’s still possible to get a tattoo, but you must take precautions. You’ve been admiring all the people you see walking around with tattoos. Your friends have them. Their friends have them. Now you are thinking about getting one. Does it mean that getting a tattoo is not for me because I have type 2 diabetes? Someone with diabetes should be able to live just like any other person. Your lifestyle should not be hampered, but you will have to be more cautious. You will have…

Is a hot bath better than cycling? According to a study, a hot bath is better than cycling at lowering blood sugar if you have type 2 diabetes. Dr. Steve Faulkner of Loughborough University was exploring alternatives to physical activity which could help people manage the condition. HOT BATH REDUCES BLOOD SUGAR In fact, he found that soaking in the tub reduces blood sugar by 10 percent. Dr. Faulkner found the participants who bathed had, on average, 10 percent lower peak glucose levels compared to exercising. After a meal, your blood sugar goes up. This is one of the risk markers for developing type 2 diabetes. Keeping blood sugar down…

How does stress affect diabetes? Well, stress happens when something causes your body to act. Acute stress is when your body reacts to something that is short-lived. Chronic stress lasts quite a bit longer. Your body releases hormones when you are stressed. Your muscles will become tense. The pulse begins to increase. However, in people with diabetes, that fight or flight response doesn’t work very well. Insulin is not always able to get extra energy into the cells. In this case, the glucose piles up in the blood. LONG-TERM STRESS AND DIABETES Some forms of stress can be long-term. For example, knee replacement surgery can take months to recover. My…

Would you like to check blood sugar without pain? In order to manage our blood sugar, we have to prick our fingers from time to time. We have to check our blood sugar even with this new Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) Testing your blood sugar shouldn’t hurt. However, many of us complain that it hurts when you prick your finger. We even complain about the calluses that form on our fingertips. I myself have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about a year ago. Over 20 years ago, lancing devices were barbaric. The lancet got rammed into your finger. How deep the needle would go was truly a guess. Ouch!…

Type 2 diabetes: can it go into remission? Diabetes can go into remission. When you are in remission, you have no signs or symptoms of it. Yet, your risk of relapse is very high. TYPE 2 DIABETES, IS THERE A CURE? At this time, there is no known cure for type 2 diabetes. It can be controlled. In some cases, it will go into remission. For some people, a healthy lifestyle is enough to control blood sugar levels. Losing weight if you are overweight, eating healthy foods, and being active. People with type 2 diabetes usually have to take one or more medications or even insulin if not properly controlled.…

Does anyone have a smartphone – best diabetes apps for 2019? I am using the OneTouch Reveal, which helps me to see trends. Sometimes wish it had other features. Managing your diabetes is crucial, no matter what type of diabetes you have. If you would like to review the four types of diabetes here is the post First, it can be tiring to think about carbohydrate counting, insulin doses, glucose, blood pressure, etc. I think you will agree with me when I say smartphones can simplify tracking and learning. Some are able to record your health information, so it is in one spot. This allows you to learn more about…

Why do generations of families develop diabetes? Have you been wondering whether your children will develop it too? Have you thought genetics play a big role? Genes alone are not enough. Other factors are to blame. Although, type 1 and type 2 diabetes have absolutely different causes. There is the likelihood that you will inherit the disease. Something in the environment will trigger it. According to the American Diabetes Association, identical twins have identical genes. Yet one twin can have type 1. The other will get it only half the time. Yet, if one twin has type 2 diabetes, the other twin’s risk is maybe 3 in 4. TYPE 1…

Do you really think that a noisy environment can affect blood sugar levels? Recently, there are studies that have suggested transportation noise, such as cars, trains, and airplanes are causes of lack of sleep and insulin resistance. Lack of sleep and insulin resistance are both contributors to type 2 diabetes. The biggest cause of noise in big cities is road traffic. Typically, increasing traffic comes with an increase in noise levels. The surrounding buzz is at fault for a number of health problems, such as heart disease, sleep disturbance, cognitive impairment, and stress-related mental health risks. Shortly after I started doing research on transportation noise and how it affected type…