Type 2 diabetes is one of a few different types of the metabolic condition. It’s the most common type and is closely associated with lifestyle factors like your dietary choices and (lack of) exercise.
Leading up to a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, your body becomes increasingly resistant to a hormone called insulin. It comes from your pancreas and facilitates the transfer of glucose, a type of sugar in your blood, into your cells for use as energy. When your body can’t use insulin properly, your blood sugar levels increase, and this can cause harm to various organs and tissues.
A common question is whether or not Type 2 diabetes is reversible considering it often comes as the result of various lifestyle factors. Here at Healthy Life Family Medicine in Goodyear, Arizona, our board-certified family medicine practitioner and founder John Monroe, MD, tells you everything you need to know about Type 2 diabetes and the best practices for managing it.
We’ll start with the bad news: Technically, Type 2 diabetes is not truly curable and you cannot reverse the condition entirely. But this doesn’t mean it’s not possible for the condition to go into a phase of remission.
Remission means a condition enters a phase of having no symptoms (complete remission) or far fewer symptoms (partial remission). The objective of diabetes treatment is to reduce the level of glucose in your blood to a nondiabetes range. Even if you can lower the level of glucose in your blood to that of someone with a diagnosis of prediabetes, it can have a substantial positive impact on your long-term well-being.
The good news is that it’s very possible to enter a state of remission if you manage your Type 2 diabetes properly. This means far less risk of complications like neuropathy, heart disease, and kidney disease.
Diabetes remission is not permanent, and you need to remain diligent about leading a healthy lifestyle and being mindful of your diet. Major changes like weight gain can bring your Type 2 diabetes back in full force. For this reason, long-term control of your diabetes may require major weight loss through a tailored program or with surgery like gastric bypass.
Managing diabetes or any other chronic illness requires informed and personalized care from a medical provider with the appropriate expertise. Dr. Monroe works closely with you to develop a diabetes management plan that includes regular exercise and restructuring your diet. While not everyone with Type 2 diabetes needs to take insulin, taking insulin might be a necessary part of your treatment for severe diabetes too.
It’s never a bad time to get your Type 2 diabetes under control by working with a primary care provider who understands your needs. Schedule an appointment with us at Healthy Life Family Medicine over the phone or online at your earliest convenience.
