Type 2 Diabetes

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes don’t happen all at once. They tend to develop slowly over time. You may be very thirsty, hungry, tired or your vision might become blurry. You may have to pee a lot, have tingling or numbness in your hands and feet and lose weight without trying. If you have any of these symptoms, your healthcare provider may order the following tests:

• Fasting blood sugar (glucose) test: This blood test checks how much sugar is in your blood after an eight-hour fast (nothing to eat or drink except water).
• Random blood sugar test: This blood test measures the sugar in your blood without having to fast first.
• Glycated hemoglobin test (A1c): If your blood sugar test shows you have diabetes, this test will show your average blood sugar for the past three months.
• Oral glucose tolerance testing: This test checks your blood sugar levels before and after you drink a sugary beverage and evaluates how your body handles sugar.
• Anti-insulin antibody tests: Your provider might order these blood tests to make sure you don’t have Type 1 diabetes or latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). These are both autoimmune conditions — LADA develops more slowly than Type 1. In these conditions, your immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas for unknown reasons. People with Type 1 diabetes and LADA have certain antibodies in their blood that show evidence of this attack. People with Type 2 diabetes don’t have these antibodies.

Sometimes, you may not feel anything usual. Not everyone experiences symptoms. This can mean that you might have Type 2 diabetes for a while before being diagnosed. Regularly scheduled visits to your primary care provider is one way to stay on top of this condition. Your provider can let you know if you need screening tests for any unknown health conditions like Type 2 diabetes and guide you through the process. The United States Preventative Task Force recommends that adults ages 35 to 70 who don’t have symptoms (asymptomatic), but have overweight or obesity, go through screening.

Since Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition, you’ll need to manage the condition daily. As overwhelming as this might sound right now, your diabetes care team will teach you how to do this effectively and efficiently.

There isn’t one “right” way to manage Type 2 diabetes — everyone has different goals, challenges and access to diabetes tools. And T2D affects each person differently. Our providers are up to date on all Type 2 diabetes treatments, including:

• Diet changes and exercise plans.
• Oral medications (pills).
• Injectable noninsulin diabetes medications.
• Insulin therapy.

They’ll personalize a plan to meet your needs and adapt it as your needs and goals change.

Similarly, your providers will help you determine which blood sugar (glucose) monitoring strategy is best. They may recommend checking your blood sugar with a glucometer at different times throughout the day or week. Or you might find that using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) works best for you.

Carefully planning your meals, maintaining a healthy weight for you and getting enough exercise are important to managing your Type 2 diabetes. Cleveland Clinic offers a variety of education and support programs to help you learn what you’ll need to know.

Managing other conditions you may have

It’s common that Type 2 diabetes might not be the only medical condition you have. You might also have things like high cholesterol, high blood pressure or obesity.

We bring together all of the experts you need to care for these conditions and any diabetes complications, like diabetes-related retinopathy or neuropathy. Your care team will be by (and on) your side to help you be as healthy as possible in a judgment-free environment.

We offer weight management care or bariatric surgery (weight-loss surgery) if you have obesity and are having difficulties managing your blood sugar levels with lifestyle changes and medication alone.

Taking the Next Step

Being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes is a big deal, but it’s not a deal breaker. You can still live a happy, full life doing all the things you love to do. You just need to know how to manage your new reality. Take the first steps toward a healthy life by connecting with a Cleveland Clinic specialist who can guide your journey with diabetes and help you be your best self.