Plain English Meaning
Diabetes pills that you swallow to keep your blood sugar under control, instead of giving yourself insulin shots.
Full Definition
A class of pills taken by mouth to lower blood glucose (blood sugar) levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Unlike insulin, which is injected, these medications work through the digestive system and act by helping the body produce more insulin, use insulin more effectively, or reduce the amount of glucose released by the liver. The FAA may grant medical certification to pilots managing diabetes with these medications, subject to specific monitoring and reporting requirements.
Context Anchor
Seen on FAA medical certificate applications and in discussions with an aviation medical examiner about diabetes treatment.
Derivation
From Greek 'hypo' meaning 'under' or 'below,' and 'glykys' meaning 'sweet' (the root of glucose). '' literally means 'lowering blood sugar.' 'Oral' simply means 'taken by mouth.' So the term describes a pill that brings blood sugar down.