Living with type 2 diabetes

Living with type 2 diabetes 

If you have type 2 diabetes, it's important to look after your own health and wellbeing, with support from those involved in your care.

Caring for your health will make treating your diabetes easier and minimise your risk of developing complications of diabetes.

Self care for type 2 diabetes includes:

• maintaining good physical and mental health
• preventing illness or accidents
• effectively dealing with minor ailments and long-term conditions.

Your diabetes care team

As type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition, you'll be in regular contact with your diabetes care team. Your GP or diabetes care team will also need to check your eyes, feet and nerves regularly because they can also be affected by diabetes.

You should also be tested regularly – at least once a year – to check how well your diabetes is being controlled over the long term.

A blood sample will be taken from your arm, and the HbA1c test will be carried out. It measures how much glucose is in the red blood cells, and gives your blood glucose levels for the previous two to three months.

Healthy eating

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is very important if you have diabetes. However, you don't need to avoid certain food groups altogether.

You can have a varied diet and enjoy a wide range of foods as long as you eat regularly and make healthy choices.

You can make adaptations when cooking meals, such as reducing the amount of fat, salt and sugar you eat, and increasing the amount of fibre.

You don't need to completely exclude sugary and high-fat foods from your diet, but they should be limited.

The important thing in managing diabetes through your diet is to eat regularly and include starchy carbohydrates, such as pasta, as well as plenty of fruit and vegetables. 

If your diet is well balanced, you should be able to achieve a good level of health and maintain a healthy weight.

Regular exercise

As physical activity lowers your blood glucose level, it's very important to exercise regularly if you have diabetes.

Like anyone else, you should aim to do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.

However, before starting a new activity, speak to your GP or diabetes care team first.

As exercise will affect your blood glucose level, your care team may have to adjust your insulin treatment or diet to keep your blood glucose level steady.

Don't smoke

If you have diabetes, your risk of developing a cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack or stroke, is increased.

As well as increasing this risk further, smoking also increases your risk of many other serious smoking-related conditions, such aslung cancer.

If you want to give up smoking, your GP can provide you with advice, support and treatment to help you quit.

Limit alcohol

If you have diabetes and decide to drink alcohol, avoid drinking more than the recommended daily amounts, and never drink alcohol on an empty stomach.

Depending on the amount you drink, alcohol can cause either high or low blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia).

Drinking alcohol may also affect your ability to carry out insulin treatment or blood glucose monitoring, so always be careful not to drink too much.

Men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week. 

Keeping well

People with long-term conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, are encouraged to get a flu jab each autumn to protect against flu (influenza).

A pneumoccocal vaccination, which protects against a serious chest infection called pneumococcal pneumonia, is also recommended.

Foot care

If you have diabetes, you're at greater risk of developing problems with your feet, including foot ulcers and infections from minor cuts and grazes.

This is because diabetes is associated with poor blood circulation in the feet, and blood glucose can damage the nerves.

To prevent problems with your feet, keep your nails short and wash your feet daily using warm water.

Wear shoes that fit properly, and see foot care specialists (a podiatrist or chiropodist) regularly so any problems can be detected early.

Regularly check your feet for cuts, blisters or grazes as you may not be able to feel them if the nerves in your feet are damaged.

See your GP if you have a minor foot injury that doesn't start to heal within a few days.

Regular eye tests

If you have type 2 diabetes, you should be invited to have your eyes screened once a year to check for diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition where the small blood vessels in your eye become damaged.

It can occur if your blood glucose level is too high for a long period of time (hyperglycaemia). Left untreated, retinopathy can eventually lead to sight loss.

Read more about diabetic eye screening.

People with diabetes should also see their optician every two years for a regular eye test. Diabetic eye screening is specifically for diabetic retinopathy and can't be relied upon for other conditions.