Type 2 Diabetes

What is Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM)?

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is defined as blood sugars more than normal levels (Diabetes Range–Fasting sugar > 100, post glucose blood sugar > 200 or Hba1c >/= 6.5%. Type 2 diabetes is the type which occurs in adults (mostly > 30-40 years of age). It can be easily managed with oral medications. Type 2 diabetes is common in overweight people, who exercise less and have family members with Type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is childhood-onset diabetes, where children need to take insulin injections for their entire life.

Further discussion is restricted to Type 2 diabetes only.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is usually diagnosed because of Diabetes symptoms such as excessive hunger or thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, or tiredness. Sometimes, people may have no diabetes symptoms whatsoever, and diabetes is diagnosed during a routine health check-up for a job or insurance purposes or before a planned surgery.

Type 2 diabetes is difficult for most people to accept because there is a fear of lifelong Diabetes treatment & medications and complications in the future, like kidney and heart problems.

But a TEAM approach (diabetes educator/nutritionist with doctor) towards Diabetes Treatment makes it easy to manage and not be feared. There are a lot of positives.

1. When well-managed people with Type 2 diabetes can lead a normal life free from any problems.
2. It is very responsive to lifestyle (small modifications in food (Diabetes Diet) and exercise can have amazing results)                                                                 You can consult our Nutrition expert Shruti Doshi, a Certified Diabetes Educator.
3. There are many different safe oral medications available for good sugar control. More and more are becoming available at a reasonable cost so all can benefit.
4. Many scientific breakthroughs in technology for diabetes like Bluetooth enabled glucometers, continuous glucose monitors (flash glucose monitors) can check your sugars (without a prick) every 5 mins for 14 days at a stretch.
5. With a regular screening of kidney, eye and heart functions, if needed, Diabetes treatment can be started at very early stages.

My approach:

1. The first thing I do is reassure the person that their issues can be easily tackled if we work as a team. Even blood sugars of 500 (Diabetic Range) or more can be easily brought down safely without hospital admissions and injections in most people.
2. We find out as much as we can about the person’s usual lifestyle (meal timings, activity pattern, snack timings, daily schedule, work hours) to integrate the treatment into the person’s life with special attention to their personal choices.
3. We ensure that we explain the medications to be taken, their timings, frequency, relation with meals and possible side effects. This results in good glycaemic control and avoids panic if people do develop minor problems with the medications. We also provide alternate what’s app numbers for support in case of a problem. Of course, in case of an emergency, you must visit the nearest hospital.
4. We insist on a yearly assessment of all organs affected by diabetes to pick up any problems earliest for timely treatment.
5. A team approach with nutritionist/diabetes educator and doctor to manage this condition holistically will ensure a healthy, happy life for the person living with diabetes.

Please visit this website to know more about trusted diabetes information. diabetes.co.in

Our work in doctor-patient communication – ‘Language Matters’ for people living with Type 2 diabetes focuses on how improvement in doctor-patient communication can impact the patient experience.
Better experience results in better outcomes and a longer, healthier life for a person living with diabetes.
Click on this link to read about my research – https://lnkd.in/eXgVATA

Most doctors who treat Diabetes have been seeing more people with high blood sugars during the COVID pandemic than ever before. COVID19 virus and the treatment related to it causes blood sugar levels to rise. COVID – transient hyperglycemia is the term coined for it.

Language Matters India

My work in doctor-patient communication – ‘Language Matters’

My father had diabetes and I have heard from my sisters how the doctor communicated information had a huge impact on the family’s ability to comprehend diabetes-related information and deal with this condition.

Unfortunately, there is no formal training in communication in the medical school curriculum. To this end, we undertook a series of focus group discussions with people living with diabetes across five states in India to understand what people experienced during diabetes consultation. We also devised solutions/alternative options to communicate the same information more positively.

We are sure that when doctors read what people experience, there will be changes in their communication style. Improvement in doctor-patient communication will ultimately improve the patient experience. This will motivate people to adhere to the treatment plan; they will experience better outcomes and live a longer, healthier life.