Treatment Overview

The key to treating your type 2 diabetes is keeping your blood sugar as close to your target levels as you can with diet, exercise, and maybe medicines if you need them. This can help you stay healthy and lower your risk of complications. Try to:

• Make healthy food choices.Eat a balanced diet. Try to manage the amount of carbohydrate you eat. If you are overweight, losing weight may also help you control your blood sugar. For help, see the topics:

  Quick Tips: Smart Snacking When You Have Diabetes.

  Diabetes: Using a Plate Format for Eating.

  Diabetes: Counting Carbs If You Don't Use Insulin.

• Be active.The more active you are, the more sugar (glucose) your body uses for energy. This keeps the sugar from building up in your blood. For help getting active, see the topics:

  Quick Tips: Getting Active at Home.

  Fitness: Adding More Activity to Your Life.

  Fitness: Walking for Wellness.

• Test your blood sugar levels.You have a better chance of keeping your blood sugar in your target range if you know what it is from day to day. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that you keep your blood sugar levels at:
  • 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) to 130 mg/dL before meals, when using a fingertip blood test.
  • Less than 180 mg/dL 1 to 2 hours after meals, using the fingertip test. For help, see the topic:

  Diabetes: Checking Your Blood Sugar.

• Keephigh blood pressure andhigh cholesterol under control. Doing so can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. See the topics:

  Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) for high cholesterol.

  High Blood Pressure: Checking Your Blood Pressure at Home.

• Take medicines, such as metformin (Glucophage) or insulin, if you need them. See the topic:

  Diabetes: Giving Yourself an Insulin Shot.

• Quit smoking, if you smoke. Quitting smoking can help you reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. For help, see the topic:

  Quitting Smoking: Getting Support.