Living with type 2 diabetes -

Living with type 2 diabetes

Learn more about living with type 2 diabetes

Having diabetes means that your body produces too little or no insulin. If you have type 2 diabetes (also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes), your body produces some insulin, but less than you need. The insulin you do produce does not work properly.

Whether you have had type 2 diabetes for some time, or if you are newly diagnosed, this section gives advice on how to eat healthily, manage the medication you may have to take and generally avoid the long term complications associated with having diabetes.

Your family and friends will also find this website useful, in particular the sections regarding hypoglycaemia (often referred to as 'hypo' or 'diabetic coma'), when your blood sugars may fall dangerously low and hyperglycaemia, when the opposite happens and your blood sugars rise too high.

Having diabetes does not mean that you cannot live a normal life, but it does mean that you have to be more aware of your health now and how it will affect areas of your life such as working or travelling.

We hope that you find this a useful guide to enable you to live a happy and healthy life with diabetes.

INS/693/0107

Last updated: May 2007

Physical activity can have an impact on blood glucose

Which type of diabetes do you have?

There are two main types of diabetes - type 1 and type 2 - which do you have?

Type 1

Type 2 (controlled by diet)

Type 2 (controlled by insulin)

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Diabetes dictionary

Many of the terms associated with diabetes can be confusing, especially for those newly diagnosed. Our diabetes dictionary gives explanations for the most common ones.

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