If you have type 2 diabetes

Arrange ongoing follow-up with your doctor or diabetes team so your medicines, blood glucose checks, blood pressure and general health can be reviewed together.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body does not use insulin effectively and, over time, may not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose in a healthy range. It can begin gradually, so some people have few noticeable symptoms.

Persistently raised blood glucose can affect the small blood vessels and nerves, as well as the heart and circulation. This is why care includes more than checking glucose: foot checks, eye checks, kidney assessment and cardiovascular risk review are also useful parts of follow-up.

Take medicines exactly as prescribed, and do not stop them because a reading improves unless your clinician changes the plan. If you monitor at home, record readings alongside meals, activity, illness and medicine timing so patterns are easier to discuss.

Choose regular meals with vegetables, fibre-rich foods and suitable portions, stay physically active in a way that fits your health, avoid smoking, and keep alcohol within the advice given by your clinician. Check your feet regularly for blisters, cuts, colour change or swelling, especially if sensation is reduced.

Ask for a sick-day plan before you need one. Illness can change blood glucose and hydration needs, and some medicines may require temporary advice during vomiting, diarrhoea or poor fluid intake.

Seek urgent help for severe confusion, fainting, a seizure, trouble breathing, chest pain, sudden weakness on one side, or difficulty speaking. These symptoms can signal a serious blood glucose problem or another emergency.

Contact your healthcare team promptly if readings stay outside your agreed range, or if you have repeated shaking, sweating, dizziness or confusion that may indicate hypoglycaemia. A foot wound, spreading redness, warmth, swelling, pus or fever also needs prompt assessment because infection can worsen quickly.

Ask which blood glucose targets apply to you, how often to test, what to do when you are unwell, and which symptoms should trigger urgent advice. You can also ask when your kidney, eye, foot and cardiovascular checks are due, and whether a diabetes educator or dietitian could help you build a practical routine.