When most people think of diabetes, they think of insulin therapy, a standard treatment for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. But the fact is, while insulin is a necessary part of treatment for people with type 1 diabetes, people diagnosed with type 2 may be able to lead healthy lives without it.
At Harbor Community Health Centers, our team specializes in providing customized diabetes management plans, helping every patient manage their health using therapies most effective for their unique needs. Here, learn how insulin works and why not all people with type 2 diabetes will require insulin therapy.
Insulin is a hormone secreted by special cells in the pancreas. It plays a big role in regulating blood sugar (glucose) levels, moving glucose from the blood into the cells, where it’s used for energy and cell function.
Diabetes is a disease that happens when your body doesn’t produce any insulin, doesn’t produce adequate insulin, or doesn’t use insulin effectively. Each of these problems leads to high glucose levels, which in turn can lead to diabetes.
But even though type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes can cause similar symptoms, they happen for different reasons and affect your body in different ways. Understanding those differences is also the key to learning why people with type 2 diabetes don’t always require insulin therapy.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to mistakenly attack healthy pancreas cells—specifically, the cells that produce insulin. It typically begins in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood.
People with type 1 diabetes produce very little insulin or none at all. As a result, they need to take insulin throughout their lifetimes to keep their glucose levels under control and prevent life-threatening complications.
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that develops when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin efficiently and effectively. Common among people who are overweight or obese, type 2 diabetes used to occur primarily in adults, but rising childhood obesity rates have made it common among kids, too.
Some people with type 2 diabetes will need to use insulin to keep their glucose level within a healthy range. But others may be able to manage their disease (and even potentially reverse it) without insulin by adopting key lifestyle changes, including:
You’ll also need to monitor your glucose levels regularly and record any fluctuations so you can be proactive in regulating the balance between glucose and insulin.
Some people with type 2 diabetes enter what’s known as remission, defined as three consecutive months of normal glucose levels. Even then, you’ll still need to follow a management plan to prevent glucose levels from rising again.
Diabetes affects people in different ways, and its course over time can vary, too. November is National Diabetes Month, and that means it’s a great time to learn new ways to manage your diabetes more effectively.
To learn what you can do — and how we can help — call 310-547-0202 today to schedule an appointment with the Harbor Community Health Centers team at one of our two locations in San Pedro, California.
