Type 2 diabetes
In type 2 diabetes the pancreas still makes insulin, but it does not work well in the body. The insulin cannot get the sugar from the food you eat into the body cells. The sugar stays in the blood and the blood sugar goes too high. We call this insulin resistance.
Most people who have type 2 diabetes are overweight. Both kids and adults can get type 2 diabetes.
Your chance of getting type 2 diabetes is higher if:
- It is in your family. It runs in families.
- You are overweight and not exercising.
How will a person know if they have type 2 diabetes?
The signs of type 2 diabetes are:
- Feeling tired a lot of the time
- Peeing a lot
- Drinking a lot
- Dark skin that looks like dirty skin in areas like arm pits, around the neck, or inside the elbows
- Blurred vision
There are blood tests that may tell us if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. These blood tests are not 100 percent accurate.
We will teach you and your family how to:
Eat healthy.
Healthy foods help keep blood sugar closer to normal. They help you grow normally and lose weight if you need to.
Check your blood sugar.
You will need to check your blood sugar on your fingertips several times each day. Your blood sugar level tells us if we need to change the amount of insulin, medicine, or exercise you do to control your blood sugar.
Take insulin shots each day.
Insulin shots replace the insulin your body cannot make.
Exercise each day.
Being active for at least 60 minutes each day helps you use the food you eat.