When you are being treated for type 2 diabetes, how can you tell if your treatment is working?

Well, there are several ways, and we'll go through these in this article.

Firstly, realise that there are various ways to treat type 2 diabetes, and these include both medications as well as lifesyle changes.

Indeed, sometimes impaired glucose tolerance and even type 2 diabetes can be fully reversed with lifestyle changes alone.

But everyone is different and you should seek the advice of your own doctor.

So to monitor the effectiveness of your diabetes treatment in non insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes, you can:

1. Ask your doctor about the blood tests needed to monitor the blood glucose level control in your bloodstream.

An example is the HbA1C test which tells you how well your sugar level has been controlled over a 3 month period.

2. Use a blood glucose meter to monitor your blood sugar levels at home. Always bring your results to your doctor to see if the numbers are satisfactory. And also work out how often you should monitor your glucose levels.

3. If you actually experience symptoms when your blood glucose levels are high, then you can use this as a rough guide.

Not everyone has symptoms when their blood sugar levels are out of range, so it's not reliable in everyone. But some symptoms of high sugar include tiredness, increased urination, increased thirst, and increased drinking.

4. Watch out for and report any side effects.

Some medicines for diabetes can have side effects, so talk to your doctor about these.

5. See if you need to see certain specialist doctors to monitor for end organ damage.

Your physician may ask you to see an ophthalmologist ot have a retinla examination to look for diabetic eye damage at regular intervals. So see your doctor to discuss this.

So there you have it.

Seek to treat your diabetes well and to look after your health and your body will look after you in return.

You've just learnt some handy ways to help monitor your treatment for type 2 diabetes and to help see if your treatment is on the right track.