Diabetes Diagnosis and Treatments



What should I know about side effects of diabetes medicines?

Side effects are problems that result from a medicine. Some diabetes medicines can cause hypoglycemia, also called low blood glucose, if you don’t balance your medicines with food and activity.

Ask your healthcare professional whether your diabetes medicine can cause hypoglycemia or other side effects, such as upset stomach and weight gain. Take your diabetes medicines as your health care professional has instructed you, to help prevent side effects and diabetes problems.

The main aim of diabetes treatment is to return blood sugar to a safe threshold and reduce the risk of complications while helping a person with diabetes to resume daily function.



Is Diabetes Curable?

No cure for diabetes currently exists, but the disease can go into remission.

When diabetes goes into remission, it means that the body does not show any signs of diabetes, although the disease is technically still present.

Doctors have not come to a final consensus on what exactly constitutes remission, but they all include A1C levels below 6 percent as a significant factor. A1C levels indicate a person’s blood sugar levels over 3 months. Remission can take different forms:



Complete remission: When the blood glucose level returns to normal levels completely outside of the range of diabetes or prediabetes and stays there for at least 1 year without any medications.

Partial remission: When a person has maintained a blood glucose level lower than that of a person with diabetes for at least 1 year without needing to use any diabetes medication.



Prolonged remission: When complete remission lasts for at least 5 years.

Even if a person maintains normal blood sugar levels for 20 years, a doctor would still consider their diabetes to be in remission rather than cured. Achieving diabetes remission can be as simple as making changes to an exercise routine or diet.

Diabetes is a chronic disorder in which the body does not produce or use insulin effectively. It is not curable for most people, but treatments include medication, lifestyle adjustments, and management of diabetes' various complications.Diabetes is a condition that affects blood sugar levels and causes many serious health problems if left untreated or uncontrolled. There is no cure for diabetes, but it can go into remission. People can manage it with medication and lifestyle changes.There are a number of treatments available to help you manage your diabetes. Alongside diabetes education courses, and making healthy lifestyle choices, these treatments can contribute to reducing your risk of diabetes complications, as well as help towards your general health and wellbeing.Whether you’ve been newly diagnosed, have been fighting against type 1 or type 2 diabetes for a while, or are helping a loved one, you’ve come to the right place. This is the start of gaining a deeper understanding of how you can live a healthier life—with all the tools, health tips, and food ideas you need. Wherever you’re at with this disease, know that you have options and that you don’t have to be held back. You can still live your best life. All you have to do is take action and stick with it.Your GP or a healthcare professional can help you find the right diabetes treatment plan to suit you and your lifestyle. If you have some risk factors for diabetes, or if you have high levels of blood sugar in your urine. Your doctor may suspect you have diabetes. Your blood sugar (blood glucose) levels may be high if your pancreas is producing little or no insulin (type 1 diabetes), or if the body is not responding normally to insulin (type 2 diabetes).There are a several of treatments available to help you manage and treat diabetes. Everyone is different, so treatment will vary depending on your own individual needs.Getting diagnosed begins with 1 of 3 tests. in most cases, your specialist doctor will want to repeat a test that is high in order to confirm the diagnosis:An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) entails drinking a beverage containing glucose and then having your blood glucose levels checked every 30 to 60 minutes for up to 3 hours. If the glucose level is 200 mg/dL or higher at 2 hours, then you might have diabetes.A fasting glucose test is a test of your blood sugar levels taken in the morning before you have eaten. A level of 126 mg/dL or higher may mean that you have diabetes.The A1c test is a simple blood test that shows your average blood sugar levels for the past 2-3 months. An A1c level of 6.5% or higher may mean you have diabetes.Diabetes is a condition that impairs the body’s ability to process blood glucose, otherwise known as blood sugar.In the USA, the estimated number of people over 18 years of age with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes is 30.2 million. The figure represents between 27.9 and 32.7 percent of the population.Without ongoing, careful management, diabetes can lead to a buildup of sugars in the blood, which can increase the risk of dangerous complications, including stroke and heart disease.Different kinds of diabetes can occur, and managing the condition depends on the type. Not all forms of diabetes stem from a person being overweight or leading an inactive lifestyle. In fact, some are present from childhood.Doctors refer to some people as having prediabetes or borderline diabetes when blood sugar is usually in the range of 100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter.Normal blood sugar levels sit between 70 and 99 mg/dL, whereas a person with diabetes will have a fasting blood sugar higher than 126 mg/dL.The prediabetes level means that blood glucose is higher than usual but not so high as to constitute diabetes.People with prediabetes are, however, at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, although they do not usually experience the symptoms of full diabetes.The risk factors for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are similar. They include:a family history of diabetesbeing overweighthaving gestational diabetes or giving birth to a child with a birth weight of more than 9 poundsa history of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)having a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level lower than 40 mg/dL or 50 mg/dLa history of high blood pressurehaving a sedentary lifestylebeing of African-American, Native American, Latin American, or Asian-Pacific Islander descentbeing more than 45 years of ageIf a doctor identifies that a person has prediabetes, they will recommend that the individual makes healthful changes that can ideally stop the progression to type 2 diabetes. Losing weight and having a more healthful diet can often help prevent the disease.Diabetes is a serious disease that you cannot treat on your own. The doctor will help you make a diabetes treatment plan that is right for you, and that you can understand. You may also need other health care professionals on your diabetes treatment team, including a foot doctor, nutritionist, eye doctor, and a diabetes specialist.Type 1 diabetes, you’ll need to use insulin to treat your diabetes. You take the insulin by injection or by using a pump. It’s also free on prescription.Type 2 diabetes, you may have to use insulin or tablets, though you might initially be able to treat your diabetes by eating well and moving more.If you have another type of diabetes, your treatment options may be different. Speak to your doctor or healthcare professional, or call our helpline if you’re not sure.Treatment for diabetes requires keeping close watch over your blood sugar levels (and keeping them at a goal set by your doctor) with a combination of medications, exercise, and diet. By paying close attention to what and when you eat, you can minimize or avoid the "seesaw effect" of rapidly changing blood sugar levels, which can require quick changes in medication dosages, especially insulin. Find out how to choose the right diabetes treatment for you.Islet cell transplantIf you have Type 1 diabetes, you may be able to get an islet cell transplant. This could stop you experiencing severe hypos. Get more information about islet cell transplants – what they are and how to access them.Insulin pumpsUsing an insulin pump can be a good alternative to injecting with an insulin pen. It can give you more flexibility when managing your diabetes. But you have to meet NICE guidelines to use an insulin pump.Tablets and medicationYou may need medication to help manage your blood sugar levels. The most common tablet is metformin, but there are lots of different types.Some medication stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin, such as sulphonylureas. Others may be prescribed to help you lose weight, if you need to.If you need to take tablets to manage your diabetes, the doctor will decide which is best for you.Diet and exerciseLots of people with Type 2 diabetes don’t take any medication, and they instead treat their diabetes by eating well and moving more, our latest research DiRECT has even shown that weight loss can put Type 2 diabetes into remission. We have loads of information and advice that will help you live a healthy life.Weight loss surgeryThere are lots of obesity surgery procedures to the stomach or intestine that you can get to help you lose weight. There have been lots of studies that have found that this can help to put Type 2 diabetes into remission.