Diabetes Care Study Essay

Diabetes has recently become a focal point of health care systems around the world due to its high prevalence and the severity of secondary complications caused by the disease. Over the course of my project on diabetes, I have had the opportunity to speak with a group of diabetics to understand from a patient’s perspective how diabetes is managed in a rural community. While I found that while some patients ignored treatment and refused to make any dietary changes, the majority of the patients I interviewed were well-informed and actively managing diabetes in their everyday life.

Type 2 is characterized by the body’s inability to use insulin effectively because of a combination of resistance to insulin as well as an overall decrease production in insulin. There is a genetic predisposition to Type 2 diabetes, but there are several other factors that also put an individual at

Those who are diabetic may also be in risk of blindness (diabetic retinopathy) and nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy). Diabetic neuropathy can lead to numbness in hands and feet, foot ulcers, and eventual limb amputation (World Health Organization). Taking preventive steps can help to avoid many of the complications of diabetes.

Diabetes can affect the entire body. Two-thirds of adults with diabetes have high blood pressure, or hypertension. This condition is serious because it leads to an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, kidney and eye problems.

The most significant difference between the regular insulin and the rapid acting insulin is the onset. The onset for rapid-acting or lispro is 10-15 minutes, and for the regular it is ½-1 hour.

Hyperglycemia is a very serious risk for heart disease and strokes. Complications from hyperglycemic diabetes may include coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure, stroke, arrhythmias, or even death. High blood glucose (sugar) levels over time can lead to excess fatty deposits on the insides of your blood vessel walls. These deposits often affect blood flow, which increases the possibility of blood vessels clogging and/or hardening. As a result, this leads to heart disease. Furthermore, those with diabetic heart disease (DHD) may have less success with heart disease treatments, such as angioplasty or artery bypass grafting. “The common clustering of these risk factors in a single individual has been called the metabolic syndrome.” (Scott 1134) Uncontrolled diabetes, the biggest contributor to heart disease, is almost four times higher for adults than those without diabetes. The best way to prevent diabetic heart disease is to control it by way of reducing the risk factors through diet and lifestyle changes.

People often do not realize how deadly and complicated diabetes is. When first diagnosed with diabetes patients may often be confused by how their lifestyle will have to change. Some patients may not even know how serious the complications may be. This information is to help not only the people who are affected by diabetes but also to inform everyone on how to help prevent the onset of diabetes.

“Diabetes is a silent killer” (Demille 2005, p.5). It is a metabolic disorder that can result in impaired quality of life and serious complications. This study aims to understand the case of Mr. Skyler Hanson who is newly diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 that leads to diabetic ketoacidosis which was confirmed by the presence of moderate to high ketones in the urine and a high blood glucose level. It was noted that he has a history of fatigue, headache, abdominal pain, nausea and frequent urination. Furthermore, it was disclosed that he has difficulty in adjusting to his diagnosis and he occasionally missed administration of insulin dose when socialising. Subsequently, he was admitted in the Critical Care Unit for rehydration,

Other symptoms such as damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, heart, and blood vessels can occur if the diabetes goes unnoticed for a prolonged period of time and glucose levels are not controlled (Novitt-Moreno, 1996).

But if it’s not taken care of, uncontrolled diabetes can damage a persons’ vision, cause nerve damage and infections to the feet. Also, it can cause poor blood circulation and kidney disease. Many of these problems can be prevented by having a low fat, low alcohol diet, maintaining a reasonable body mass, and working out thirty minutes five days a week. Performing these activities can also help reduce the risk of getting diabetes.

Nearly 16 million people in the United States have diabetes, the disease classified as a problem with insulin. The problem could be that your body does not make insulin, does not make enough, or it simply does not know how to use it properly. Diabetes is also known as "diabetes mellitus".

If diabetes is left untreated, small blood vessels which deliver blood to tissues can become impaired leading to a plethora of serious health conditions such as retinopathy (blood vessels in the retina hemorrhage causing vision loss), cardiovascular disease, stroke, foot injuries and infections, high blood pressure, and kidney failure. (1, 2)

There are many complications which accompany diabetes and these can include long-term health problems which can be very serious. Blindness and vision loss are one of the affects it has on the body; along with kidney failure and lower limb amputation. In addition, people are 5 times more likely to have cardiovascular

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that "occurs when the body is unable to produce or respond to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose to enter the cells of the body and generate the body's energy" (Ebony, 115). Diabetes is a disease that affects approximately 3% of the world' population. In American alone, 10.3 million people report having diabetes, while an estimated 10 million more individuals may have undiagnosed diabetes (Morwessel, 540). The gene for diabetes is located in the HLA region on chromosome 6, and the most probable organization of the responsible gene is on a 19-kb region of INS-IGF2, which affects HLA-DR4 IDDM susceptibility. Diabetes Mellitus, was first diagnosed in the year 1000 BC, by the

     Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body produces too little insulin (Type One Diabetes) or can’t use available insulin efficiently ( Type Two Diabetes). Insulin is a hormone vital to helping the body use digested food for growth and energy.