Conditions & Treatments

In type 2 diabetes, the body fails to properly use insulin, which is needed to take sugar from the blood to the cells.  You can learn more about some conditions (including hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia) and how to prevent them in this section. You will also find helpful information about insulin, diagnostic tests and tips on what to expect from your health care provider.

Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can happen even during those times when you're doing all you can to control your diabetes. 

Hyperglycemia
Hyperglycemia is a major cause of many of the complications that happen to people who have diabetes.  For this reason, it's important to know what hyperglycemia is, what its symptoms are, and how to treat it.

What is Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS)?
Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Nonketotic Syndrome, or HHNS, is a serious condition most frequently seen in older persons.  HHNS can happen to people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but it occurs more often in people with type 2. 

Managing Your Blood Glucose
Keeping your blood sugar as close to normal as possible helps you feel better and reduces the risk of long-term complications of diabetes.  Learn about checking your blood sugar, tight diabetes control, and an A1C test.

About Insulin
In people with type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin, or the cells ignore the insulin.

Insulin Pumps
Learn how you can use an insulin pump to help manage your diabetes.

Other Medications for Type 2 Diabetes
The first treatment for type 2 diabetes is often meal planning for blood sugar control, weight loss, and exercising. Sometimes these measures are not enough to bring blood sugar down near the normal range. The next step is taking a medicine that lowers blood glucose levels.

Transplantation
Diabetes sometimes damages kidneys so badly that they no longer work.  When kidneys fail, one option is a kidney transplant. 

Related Conditions
Learn more about Agent Orange, hemochromatosis and frozen shoulder, and how they relate to type 2 diabetes, in this section.