Do You Take Insulin For Type 2 Diabetes

The Future Of Insulin

More insulin advances are percolating. There will be new insulins that act even faster. Improvements will be made in the open-loop pumps currently on the market, and efforts continue to develop the so-called artificial pancreas, or closed-loop system that promises, with several different models, to control blood sugar without the person having to do all the thinking.

Work also progresses on alternate ways to take insulin. The second generation of inhaled insulin is on the way with the FDA’s approval of Afrezza in 2014. Investigation is ongoing for delivering insulin buccally — via the tongue, throat, and cheeks — or through a skin patch.

While the progress on new insulin products and delivery systems is encouraging, don’t delay starting insulin if your health care provider and your diabetes health status indicate you need it now. The insulin available today is safe and relatively easy to take, and injections are nearly painless. Plus, starting to take insulin sooner rather than later may improve your health quickly and make your life better for many years to come.

Is Type 2 Diabetes Serious

Around 90% of people with diabetes in the UK have type 2. It is serious condition and can be lifelong.

If left untreated, high sugar levels in your blood can seriously damage parts of your body, including your eyes, heart and feet. These are called the complications of diabetes. But with the right treatment and care, you can live well with type 2 diabetes and reduce your risk of developing them.

Learn more about diabetes complications.

Will I Need Medication Or Insulin For Type 2 Diabetes

Some people take medication to manage diabetes, along with diet and exercise. Your healthcare provider may recommend oral diabetes medications. These are pills or liquids that you take by mouth. For example, a medicine called metformin helps control the amount of glucose your liver produces.

You can also take insulin to help your body use sugar more efficiently. Insulin comes in the following forms:

• Injectable insulin is a shot you give yourself. Most people inject insulin into a fleshy part of their body such as their belly. Injectable insulin is available in a vial or an insulin pen.
• Inhaled insulin is inhaled through your mouth. It is only available in a rapid-acting form.
• Insulin pumps deliver insulin continuously, similar to how a healthy pancreas would. Pumps release insulin into your body through a tiny cannula . Pumps connect to a computerized device that lets you control the dose and frequency of insulin.

You May Like: How Does Squeezing Finger Affect Blood Sugar

What Is Diabetes And Does It Qualify For The Disability Tax Credit

Diabetes prevents the body from either not producing or correctly using insulin. Insulin is a hormone that controls the amount of glucose in the blood. Diabetes leads to high blood sugar levels, which can damage organs, blood vessels and nerves. The body needs insulin to use sugar as an energy source.

There are two types of diabetes:

Key Points To Remember

• The goal in treating type 2 diabetes is to keep blood sugar under control. When you control your blood sugar, you decrease your risk for other health problems caused by diabetes, such as eye problems, kidney disease, and nerve damage.
• Losing weight and increasing activity, along with taking diabetes medicine other than insulin, may be enough to keep blood sugar under control. Controlling blood sugar means staying in your target range.
• If your disease gets worse and your blood sugar can’t be controlled, your doctor will likely suggest that you take insulin.
• Insulin is the most effective medicine for lowering blood sugar levels to meet target ranges and A1c goals.
• If you decide to use insulin, you’ll learn what type is best for you and how much you’ll need to take. And you’ll need to know the signs of low blood sugar and what to do if you have a low blood sugar emergency.
• Starting insulin doesn’t mean that you’ve failed to control diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is often a disease that gets worse over time. Insulin can help people with type 2 diabetes keep their blood sugar under control.

You May Like: Why Does Blood Sugar Go Up At Night

Work Out When To Inject Insulin

The time of your insulin injection depends on when your blood glucose level is highest. Most people need to have insulin at bedtime, because your body makes glucose during the night, causing your blood glucose levels to be higher in the morning when you wake. Therefore, an evening dose of insulin helps to maintain lower blood glucose levels overnight. A few people find that their blood glucose levels are highest later in the day. In these people, it’s best to start insulin in the morning. Some people may need to use insulin 2 or more times a day to get better glucose control. Your doctor or nurse will help you decide on the right schedule for you. It usually takes a few weeks to get your dose and timing right.

How Is Type 2 Diabetes Managed

Theres no cure for Type 2 diabetes. But you can manage the condition by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking medication if needed. Work with your healthcare provider to manage your:

• Blood sugar: A blood glucose meter or continuous glucose monitoring can help you meet your blood sugar target. Your healthcare provider may also recommend regular A1c tests, oral medications , insulin therapy or injectable non-insulin diabetes medications.
• Blood pressure: Lower your blood pressure by not smoking, exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet. Your healthcare provider may recommend blood pressure medication such as beta blockers or ACE inhibitors.
• Cholesterol: Follow a meal plan low in saturated fats, trans fat, salt and sugar. Your healthcare provider may recommendstatins, which are a type of drug to lower cholesterol.

Don’t Miss: What Is A High Blood Sugar Reading

What Else Do You Need To Make Your Decision

Check the facts

• Sorry, that’s not right. The goal in treating type 2 diabetes is to keep blood sugar under control.
• You’re right. The goal in treating type 2 diabetes is to keep blood sugar under control.
• It may help to go back and read “Get the Facts.” The goal in treating type 2 diabetes is to keep blood sugar under control.

• You’re right. Insulin lets sugar in the blood enter cells, where it is used for energy. Without insulin, blood sugar gets too high.
• Sorry, that’s not right. Insulin lets sugar in the blood enter cells, where it is used for energy. Without insulin, blood sugar gets too high.
• It may help to go back and read “Get the Facts.” Insulin lets sugar in the blood enter cells, where it is used for energy. Without insulin, blood sugar gets too high.

• You’re right. Some people may be able to control blood sugar by taking diabetes medicine, losing weight, and increasing activity. Controlling blood sugar means staying in your target range.
• Sorry, that’s not right. Some people may be able to control blood sugar by taking diabetes medicine, losing weight, and increasing activity. Controlling blood sugar means staying in your target range.
• Sorry, that’s not right. It may help to go back and read “Get the Facts.” Some people may be able to control blood sugar by taking diabetes medicine, losing weight, and increasing activity. Controlling blood sugar means staying in your target range.

1.How sure do you feel right now about your decision?

Type 2 Diabetes And Insulin

If you have type 2 diabetes, you may not need to use insulin straight away. But some people have very high blood sugar levels when they are first diagnosed. Insulin can be used as a short-term treatment to help quickly bring down your blood sugar levels.

Some people may need to take insulin for a particular reason, like during pregnancy, a severe illness, or after surgery. But you may also need to start insulin as a treatment if other medications havent helped managed your blood sugar levels or arent appropriate for you.

If you need insulin it isnt your fault and it doesnt mean you havent managed your diabetes well. Insulin is simply another medication that can help to keep you as healthy as possible. Managing blood sugars effectively is really important in reducing your risk of future diabetes complications and insulin may be the most appropriate treatment choice for you. Many people with type 2 diabetes need to use insulin as treatment at some point.

Its still important to keep going to your appointments and manage your condition with healthy lifestyle choices. Staying active and eating a healthy diet will reduce the risk of complications from your diabetes.

You May Like: Which Pancreatic Cells Release Insulin And Glucagon

Insulin Use Requires Multiple Daily Injections

Not always. If you need insulin, you have options. You can try a long-acting once-a-day insulin , which mimics the low level of insulin normally found in the body all day long. This may be enough to control blood sugar on its own, or it can be combined with oral medications. If blood sugar is still too high after meals, however, you may need to take insulin several times a day, just before eating.

What Exactly Is Glucofort

Glucofort is founded by Andrew Freeman, 50, whose story that resulted in a transformation within the diabetes community. He is practicing psychologist who, when informed of his type 2 diabetes medical diagnosis, could not think what he heard, particularly knowing how careful he had been with his health.

He decided to utilize his experience & connections to develop a practical solution that is safe yet reliable. After numerous hours of research, Andrew declares to have actually found the diabetes-reversing secret lost in eastern Asia.

Glucoforts blood sugar support, permitted by what Freeman uncovered, works by increasing insulin production while decreasing its resistance into your cells. It also supports healthy glucose metabolism. The formula in this natural supplement just permits needed glucose to be kept in the body and burns the rest by converting it into energy.

In addition, Glucofort supports cardiovascular health and helps in reducing the opportunities of heart-related illness on top of being utilized to assist treat type-2 diabetes. Plus, no major lifestyle modifications are required! No more distressing about stringent dieting plans or extensive workouts to benefit from the advantages.

You can likewise expect it to aid in weight reduction because of the components balancing blood sugar levels, which is the initial step to control weight.

Also Check: Blood Sugar Medical Term

Did The Cra Reverse Type 1 Diabetes Eligibility For The Disability Tax Credit

In 2017, the Canada Revenue Agency made a revision to the rules regarding life-sustaining therapy, resulting in those with type 1 diabetes being denied for the DTC.

Under the revised requirements, those who independently manage insulin therapy do not meet the 14-hour per week requirement unless they have other chronic conditions that affect the time needed to maintain their health. However, the decision was reversed only a year later, allowing those with type 1 diabetes to benefit from the tax refund.

Insulin Is Difficult To Take

Gone are the days when insulin injections were bulky, conspicuous, and difficult to administer. Today, insulin comes in pen injectors that are easy to carry with you, dont require refrigeration, and can be used discreetly, often just once a day, Dr. Crandall says.There are a large variety of

insulin and insulin regimens that are much more convenient than they used to be, she adds.

Read Also: Which Pancreatic Cells Release Insulin And Glucagon

What Are The Risks Of Using Insulin

Using insulin has few risks and side effects. You may gain weight, especially if you are already overweight. The biggest risk of insulin use is very low blood sugar , which can turn into an emergency if not managed right away.

Using inhaled insulin may reduce how well your lungs work. If you take inhaled insulin, your doctor will test your lungs every 6 to 12 months using a spirometer. This test is done in the doctor’s office and is not painful.

About low blood sugar

Some common reasons for very low blood sugar include:

• Taking too much insulin.
• Skipping meals or not eating enough food.
• Exercising without eating enough, or being much more active than usual.
• Drinking too much alcohol .

It’s a good idea to know the signs of low blood sugar, which include feeling tired, weak, or shaky. If your blood sugar drops very low and you don’t get help, you could get confused or drowsy or even lose consciousness and possibly die.

Most of the time, you can treat mildâand sometimes moderateâlow blood sugar by eating something that contains sugar.

If your blood sugar can’t be controlled even if you lose weight and take other medicine for diabetes, your doctor is likely to recommend taking insulin.

Medicines For Type 2 Diabetes

Most people need medicine to control their type 2 diabetes.

Medicine helps keep your blood sugar level as normal as possible to prevent health problems. You may have to take it for the rest of your life.

Diabetes usually gets worse over time, so your medicine or dose may need to change.

Adjusting your diet and being active is usually necessary to keep your blood sugar level down.

Don’t Miss: Which Pancreatic Cells Release Insulin And Glucagon

How Much Insulin Do I Need For Type 1 Diabetics Take

If blood sugar levels are dropping too low, some models of CGM will alert you with an alarm. Some insulin pumps are now integrated with CGMs and can shut off insulin delivery when blood sugar levels are dropping too quickly to help prevent hypoglycemia. Glucose, the main energy source for your body, enters the cells of most of your tissues with the help of insulin a hormone secreted by your pancreas. Insulin enables the glucose to enter the cells and provide the fuel your cells need. Extra glucose is stored in your liver and muscles in the form of glycogen. If you havent eaten for several hours and your blood sugar level drops, another hormone from your pancreas signals your liver to break down the stored glycogen and release glucose into your bloodstream. This keeps your blood sugar within a normal range until you eat again. The key differences between prediabetes or diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a medical condition that is associated with high blood sugar. It results from a lack of, or insufficiency of, the hormone insulin which is produced by the pancreas. There are two types.

Diabetes impacts the lives of more than 34 million Americans, which adds up to more than 10% of the population. When you consider the magnitude of that number, its easy to understand why everyone needs to be aware of the signs of the disea.

And then that leaves room for the occasional gluten-unfastened carb-loaded dessert or one among my favorite.

How Much Can You Receive From The Disability Tax Credit:

If approved for the DTC for diabetes, you can receive one or more tax refunds, depending on how long you have lived with the condition. To find out how much you can stand to receive from the DTC, use our highly accurate Disability Tax Credit Calculator. However, to give a rough estimation, here is how much you could earn from the DTC:

The Disability Tax Credit consists of a Federal portion and a Provincial portion. The Federal portion is the same across Canada, while the Provincial portion is different in each Province.

If found eligible for the Disability Tax Credit, you could receive:

• Annual refund If found eligible, you can claim a refund annually when you prepare your taxes. An adult can receive around $1,500-$2,000 per year, while a childs caregiver can receive up to $4,000 per year.
• Retroactive One-time Refund If youve been living with diabetes for years before your approval for the DTC, the CRA will evaluate your application to see when your symptoms started. If applicable for prior years, you could receive a one-time lump sum payment for up to the past ten years. If you or your supporter have been paying federal taxes during those years, you will receive up to $20,000, or up to $40,000 youre under 18.

FIND OUT IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TORECEIVE THE DISABILITY TAX CREDIT!

Recommended Reading: How To Keep Blood Sugar From Dropping

How Do I Take And Adjust My Insulin Doses

It is important to learn the different methods of taking insulin and what kinds of insulin can be delivered through each method. There are several ways to take insulin syringe, pen, pump, or inhalation though injection with a syringe is currently the most common for people with type 2 diabetes. There are many apps that can help you calculate your insulin doses.

Your insulin regimen should be tailored to fit your needs and lifestyle. Adjusting your basal insulin dosage and timing will require conversations and frequent follow-up with your healthcare team. When initiating insulin therapy, you may be advised to start with a low dose and increase the dose in small amounts once or twice a week, based on your fasting glucose levels. People with diabetes should aim to spend as much time as possible with glucose levels between 70-180 mg/dl. Insulin may be used alone or in combination with oral glucose-lowering medications, such as metformin, SGLT-2 inhibitors, or GLP-1 agonists.

How Insulin Medicine Is Made

Insulin is made in different ways. You and your healthcare team will discuss which insulin you can take.

• Human insulin this is synthetic and made in a laboratory to be like insulin made in the body.
• Analogue insulin the insulin molecule is like a string of beads. Scientists have managed to alter the position of some of these beads to create genetically engineered insulin known as analogues.
• Animal insulin This isnt used much anymore, but some people find that insulin from animals works best for them. It is usually from a cow or pig.

Don’t Miss: Why Does Blood Sugar Go Up At Night