The Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes - Research Paper Example

?Diabetes Diabetes is a group of diseases that affect the way that one’s body uses blood glucose, which is commonly referred to as blood sugar. To have diabetes, regardless of what type, means that the body simply has too much glucose within the blood. If there is an increased amount of glucose in the blood, the individual risks developing further health complications. The reason that I am researching this topic is because of how common diabetes has become, especially in our significantly obese society. Furthermore, as a result of the increased numbers of people with obesity, the amount of children being diagnosed with diabetes is steadily rising. Diabetes is a complex disease, primarily due to the distinct types and the various ways that it can be caused, and it is important to understand all that encompasses the disease. There are four types of diabetes, which are Type 1, Type 2, gestational and prediabetes. Type 1 diabetes, more commonly known as juvenile diabetes, is when the pancreas stops producing a healthy amount of insulin. Insulin is vital in the process of allowing glucose to enter cells to create energy (Tattersall, 2009). Type 2 diabetes, which is more prevalent, is when the body becomes impervious to the influence of insulin, or else does not make enough insulin. Gestational diabetes can occur as a result of pregnancy and causes high blood sugar. Unlike the aforementioned types of diabetes, a woman with gestational diabetes usually has normal sugar a few weeks after delivery. Prediabetes occurs when one’s blood sugar level is significantly high, but has not increased enough to be categorized as Type 1 or 2 diabetes. With proper treatment and intervention techniques, a person can avoid prediabetes resulting in another type of diabetes. The signs and symptoms of diabetes are dependent on the type of diabetes, as well as how high or low an individual’s blood sugar is. People with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes may not experience signs right away, while Type 1 diabetes sufferers arise quickly and are often more critical. The most common symptoms are an increased desire for water or liquids, extreme hunger, drastic and unexplained weight loss, and a significant increase in appetite. This symptoms usually reveal the onset of diabetes. People with diabetes can also experience exhaustion, trouble with their vision, such as blurriness, and an increase in blood pressure. More extreme symptoms include sores and injuries that are slow to heal, keystones in the urine, which are created when muscle and fat are broken down when there is not enough insulin, and frequent infections of the gums or skin. As with the symptoms, the causes of diabetes differ from each type. With all diabetic types, though, the blood glucose plays the most important role. Before the distinct causes can be understood, is it necessary to understand the role of glucose. Glucose “is a main source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues (Barnett & Grice, 2011).” Glucose is made from two sources, which are food and the liver. While food is being digested, the sugar is soaked up into the bloodstream and then, through the help of insulin, enters the cells. Insulin comes from the pancreas, allowing insulin to enter the bloodstream and decrease the levels of sugar. When not enough insulin is being produced, the blood sugar level becomes higher than is customary. How the pancreas and glucose level react to the presence or absence of insulin is what sparks the onset of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system destroying the insulin-producing cells located in the pancreas. In a normal body, sugar would be sent to the cells, but in a diabetic body, the sugar continues to build up in the bloodstream. The immune systems refuses to let the insulin do its job by not allowing the insulin to exist. Type 2 diabetes, as well as prediabetes, is caused by the resistant of the cells to insulin, which causes a buildup of sugar in the blood. The pancreas becomes unable to make enough insulin to completely and effectively transport the sugar from the blood and into the cells. Another cause of Type 2 diabetes, one that is increasing in our society, is being overweight, though not all people with Type 2 diabetes have weight problems. Gestational diabetes is caused when the hormones produced by the placenta make the cells of a pregnant woman more resistant to the effects of insulin. As the pregnancy enters later trimesters, more of these hormones are released, making the task even more difficult for insulin. There are certain risk factors that can exist that increase an individual’s chance of developing any type of diabetes. Risk factors of Type 1 diabetes include the presence of diabetes autoantibodies and dietary factors, such as low vitamin D consumption. Race also plays a role, with Caucasians developing Type 1 diabetes more than any other race, and geological factors. Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes have the risk factors of weight, inactivity, family history, and age. In regard to age, people increase the risk of developing diabetes because it is believed that individuals exercise less the older they get (Hurley, 2011). Other risk factors for these two types of diabetes include high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides, and unusual levels of cholesterol. Finally, the risk factors for gestational diabetes, besides being pregnant, is family history, being overweight, or age, with women over twenty-five having an increased risk of developing diabetes. While there is no definite cure for diabetes, some people, depending on their situation, are able to entirely defeat the disease. Fortunately, there are many treatment options that are available to help make diabetes more manageable. To treat all types of diabetes, the diabetic needs to implement a healthy diet into their lifestyle. Fatty and sugary foods can still be eaten, but in moderate amounts. Physical activity is also essential, especially for diabetics who are overweight. Treatment options for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes include monitoring one’s blood sugar, starting insulin therapy, or taking medications that aid the pancreas in creating the needed amounts of insulin. Extreme options for diabetics who have difficulty managing their diseases are pancreas transplants and bariatric surgery. Treating prediabetes and gestational diabetes are easier since these forms of diabetes are usually not life-long conditions. Treatment options are primarily in the forms of healthier diets and overall healthier lifestyles. The prognosis of diabetes depends on how well the individual takes care of themselves and treats their condition. As previously stated, there is no cure for diabetes. There are some very rare cases in which diabetes can be reversed, by the means of getting there are drastic. If diabetics take proper care of themselves, tending to their diet, exercise, and keeping track of their blood sugar, many of them can live completely normal lives with their disease well under control. The more that a person takes care of themselves, the less intense their diabetes is, and the easier it becomes to manage. There is no method of preventing Type 1 diabetes, no matter how healthy a person is (Alterman & Kullman, 2006). On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes can be prevented and is a rather simple task, even for people who risk developing diabetes due to family history. Eating healthy foods and maintaing a lifestyle filled with regular exercise can hold diabetes at bay. Similarly, if a person is overweight, they can prevent the development of diabetes by losing the excess pounds. In some cases, people can take the medication Glucophage to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes. References Alterman, S. L., & Kullman, D. A. (2006). Diabetes: Prevention, control and cure. New York: Ballantine books. Barnett, A. H., & Grice, J. (2011). New mechanisms in glucose control. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. Hurley, D. (2011). Diabetes rising. New York: Kaplan Publishers. Tattersall, R. (2009). Diabetes: the biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Read More