Treatment of Diabetes

Treatment of diabetes is different depending on the type of diabetes. For Type 2 Diabetes even dietary adjustments and some physical activity might be all that is necessary, while for more severe cases of Type 2 diabetes oral medication can be the cure. For Type 1 Diabetes the treatment consists of insulin injections, in addition to the dietary and life-style changes.

So, there are 3 approaches to diabetes treatment:

• Diet and exercise

• Oral medication

• Insulin injections

These three approaches are discussed below. Most often a combination of them is used to treat diabetes but this all depends on several factors like:

• The type of diabetes

• Since when has the patient been diagnosed with diabetes

• Is the patient (if the patient is a woman) pregnant or nor

• Are there any previous insulin therapies.

Treatment of Diabetes with Diet and Exercise

Diet and exercise are the first step in diabetes treatment for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. For Type 2 diabetes this might be the only treatment necessary, especially when diabetes has been discovered in an early stage because at that time insulin levels are still close to the normal and the body is still not so insulin-resistant, as in later stages.

The purpose of diet and exercise is to reduce the intake of sugars, to avoid overeating, and to stimulate the metabolism. Diet and exercise are especially important for obese diabetics (and the majority of diabetics are obese or extremely obese) because obesity is a known reason for diabetes.

Treatment of Diabetes with Medication

If diet and exercise are not enough to achieve improvement for Type 2 diabetics, there are several types of medication that are used. One type stimulates the pancreas to secret more insulin. Another type of medication makes the body less resistant to insulin. A third type is used to stimulate the absorption of the glucose from the digestive system. There is medication that combines the action of the three types. Needless to say that medication for treatment of diabetes is prescription only, so it is up to your doctor to decide if you need medication or not.

Treatment of Diabetes with Insulin Injections

For Type 1 diabetes this is the only way of treatment because since the body can't produce its own insulin, it must be obtained from an external source. As of today, the major way of obtaining insulin from an external source is through injections. However, there are many attempts for islet cell transplants from donor pancreases, which if prove successful, will be a significant step forward.

Also, there are attempts to make insulin available through inhalation, which is certainly a more pleasant way of treatment than the traditional way of injecting it daily into the subcutaneous fat layer of the skin.

Probably you are already wondering isn't it simpler to just make an insulin pill. It is not simpler – it is impossible, because of the stomach acids, which will destroy the proteins that insulin consists of, so if taken orally, insulin can't be absorbed by the body.

Another modern approach to insulin injections are the so called insulin pumps. Insulin pumps are permanently attached to the diabetic. One of their advantages is that they monitor the amount of insulin in the body and when more insulin is needed, they take care of this.