Possible initial information for patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes
Your doctor has confirmed that you have type 2 diabetes. Here are some things you need to know about it.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that, if left untreated, causes high levels of sugar in the blood. This can make you
feel very unwell and, over a period of years, could cause other medical problems. There are now many effective treatments
and things you can do to improve the way you feel and that can reduce the risk of problems in the long term.
Initially, you should change your diet. Try to reduce the amount of sugar you eat and cut down on fried and fatty foods. There
is no need to eat special "diabetic foods." Depending on your circumstances you may also benefit from exercising more or losing
weight.
There are blood tests that can check the level of your blood sugar on a day to day basis or over a longer period of six to
eight weeks. You will learn more about these tests in the next few months. Depending on your blood sugar levels, you might
need to start taking tablets at some stage. Your GP or practice nurse can advise you on this, and they may refer you to a
specialist diabetes centre for further treatment at some point.
It is important that you see your GP or practice nurse regularly for check ups and that you contact them if you are unwell.
This is particularly important over the next few months, so that you and your family can learn about diabetes and how you
can manage it well.
