The Condition of Elevated Blood Sugar Level and the Risks - Literature review Example

ELEVATED BLOOD SUGAR Student’s Name Course Professor’s Name University City Date Elevated Blood Sugar Introduction Elevated blood sugar has become a global health risk that is affecting many people including those at the young age. The condition can be naturally controlled eliminating the need to visit a doctor regularly and therefore proving that individuals can treat or reduce the risk associated with some health conditions like this one here. Therefore, the paper below discusses the condition of elevated blood sugar level and the risks linked to recommendations plus how the situation can be controlled to treat or reduce the risks related to the status of high blood sugar levels. Discussion of the Elevated Blood Sugar Levels Condition The condition of elevated blood sugar levels is a condition which is also known as the hyperglycemia. It is a condition that is associated with high insulin concentrations in the blood. High blood pressure is a major concern and has been observed to affect individuals with the two types of diabetes which include type one and type two. The condition id categorized into two which include the fasting hyperglycemia and the postprandial or after-meal hyperglycemia (Cold et al. 2017). The fasting hyperglycemia is a condition that is associated with high sugar levels that are greater than 130 milligrams per deciliter, which occurs after the person does not eat or drink anything for at least 8 hours. On the other hand, postprandial or after-meal hyperglycemia is a condition that is associated with high blood sugar levels which are more than 180 milligrams per deciliter after eating. In the survey conducted, the patient has ever been tested with high blood sugar levels, which were not reduced the consumption of muffins, pastries, pies and biscuits to once in a week. The patient has been found with increased blood sugar levels, especially after consumption of the high junk foods whose consumption has not been limited. From the discussion of the elevated blood sugar levels in the above paragraph, the individual surveyed is seen to have postprandial or after-meal hyperglycemia a condition which includes the recording of high blood sugar levels after consumption of meals. Also, the person interviewed does not take water regularly. Use of more water helps in dilution of sugar concentrations in the blood (Mcardle, Katch, & Katch 2006). In addition to this, vegetable consumption habit of the surveyed individual is wanting. Therefore, the patient has to limit the behavior consumption of junk foods which include biscuits, pastries, and muffins among others, to one in a week, ensure that he consumes water on a regular basis and also increase the consumption of vegetables in his diet. Risks Associated With High Blood Sugar Levels There are significant risks that are associated with high blood sugar levels in the body. One of the effects that the patients tested with high blood levels includes the slow- healing cuts and sores. Therefore, if the person surveyed does not reduce the behavior of consuming junk foods which are making him get tested for postprandial diabetes. Therefore, if the habit is not stopped or limited to once in a week, the patient might experience difficulties in the healing of wounds (Ousey & Mcintosh 2008). In case the patient is hurt or an injury occurs accidentally, patients with diabetes find themselves having difficulties in the healing of this wound and they take time before the wounds heal. Another risk that is associated with high sugar levels is the worse vision. According to Hanas & Fox (2007), high blood sugar levels if not regulated and they continue to rise, they will cause the patient to experience worse vision, and in some cases, it causes the loss of sight. Therefore, the blood sugar levels have to be maintained before they reach this level where the patient experiences a worse vision or loses the sight in some cases. Therefore, the patient in the survey has to change the behaviors which might trigger the levels of the blood to rise higher. One of the behaviors that the patient needs to stop is the consumption of junk foods such as the muffins and the biscuits. Junk foods should be limited to once in a week. Also, the patient has to change the behavior of water consumption and ensure that he consumes water on a regular basis. However, if the patient does not alter, there is a risk that the vision of the patient might be affected and worsen and can even get lost at a later age. There is another risk that is associated with hyperglycemia, which the patient might get affected with which include intestinal and stomach problems such as diarrhea and chronic constipation. According to Magee & Schneider (2006), constipation is caused by lack of consumption of enough water. In the survey conducted, the patient does not drink plenty of water. Drinking of plenty water helps in reducing constipation as it keeps the body hydrated and the digestion of food. If the digestion of food does not occur well due to lack of water in the body, the patients might find themselves having stomach problems and intestinal problems at the same time. Therefore, it is crucial for the surveyed patient to stop the behavior of lack of consuming plenty of water and ensure that he consumes at least eight glasses of water a day. Consequently, if the person surveyed adheres to the behavior of consuming plenty of water on a daily basis, stomach and intestinal problems will not be experienced by him at all. Also, regular eating of fruits will eliminate or reduces cases of constipation. Kidneys also get affected due to the increased sugar levels in the blood. Consumption of water in the kidney helps in the purification of blood by the kidney. Therefore, it can be simply stated that water helps in washing away the impurities in the blood by the kidney. However, lack of consumption of more water leads to the increased levels of impurities in the blood that pass through the kidney. Moreover, the impurities increases where the sugar levels are not are not regulated. The growth of the impurities in the blood contributes to the destruction of the kidney. Therefore, the individual has to ensure water is regularly consumed to prevent the kidney from being destroyed. Consumption of water helps to regulate the sugar levels in the blood and also helps in purification of blood which is done by the kidney. Hyperglycemia condition can cause the risk of damaging the nerves resulting in insensitive feet, erectile dysfunction, lower extremities and severe cold. Therefore, in simple terms, hyperglycemia condition can affect the fertility of patients and especially the male patients. Therefore, male patients should ensure that they eliminate any cases of infertility. According to Fratti (2011), high sugar levels in the blood result in the problem of erectile dysfunction a condition found in men. Therefore, erectile dysfunction, which occurs in men, makes them infertile. The nerves also get affected by the condition of hyperglycemia, which causes the patient to have insensitive feet. About this, the high patient tested with hyperglycemia has to ensure that the condition in his body is controlled to avoid these effects. Therefore, the patient has to make sure that the behavior of not consuming the vegetables to control the condition stops and assumes the condition of ensuring that vegetables are consumed on a regular basis. By doing this, the condition of elevated sugar levels in the blood will be eliminated, and the risk discussed above won’t be faced with the patient. Benefits of Changing Lifestyle Behaviors Some benefits that are associated with changing the behaviors of the patient surveyed in this case. One of the behaviors that require being changed includes the behavior of consumption pattern of vegetables. Vegetables have benefits such as reducing bloating and also provide the human with omega-3 and vitamin B which help in reduction of anxiety and depression (Preedy, 2014). The other behavior that needs to be changed is consumption of junk foods. As a result, the patient will gain benefits from the reduction of food calories in the diet while replacing these foods with other foods will help in nutrients increment since junk foods have very little nutrients. Also, drinking of water helps in maximizing physical performance, increasing brain function, contribute to prevent and treat headaches, help treat kidney stones and also help in reduction of weight loss. Recommendations The first recommendation to the patient found with this condition has a vegetable consumption plan which ensures that vegetables do not lack in the diet. Therefore, as indicated in the appendices, a diary should be developed to make sure that every meal contains vegetables of various kinds as noted in the diary in the appendices. Having a healthy diet that contains vegetables helps in reducing the hyperglycemia condition (Turner 2012). Therefore, there is a recommendation that the surveyed patient includes leafy and salad vegetables which include garden cress, pumpkins, spinach in flower, the miner’s lettuce and tomato salad. The next recommendation concerns the exercises performed by the patient. The individual found with high blood sugar levels should perform exercises on a daily basis in 30 minutes. The exercises can be in the morning hours or late in the evening when it is not so hot. The third recommendation is to increase water consumption levels of the individual. The minimum water consumed in a day should be eight glasses. According to Mcardle, Katch, & Katch (2006), consumption of water helps in dilution of sugar levels in the blood. However, the person can also increase the water usage levels up to 10 glasses. Therefore, the paper recommends that there should be consumption of one glass of water each hour during the working hours from 11: am to 10: pm a day as scheduled in the appendices. The next recommendation is that individuals with elevated blood sugar levels should have limited their junk food consumption rate. Moreover, if junk foods have to be consumed, they should be taken once in a week which should be on Sunday. Also, two glasses of water should be consumed after consumption of junk food to dilute sugars in the diet. Conclusion An elevated blood sugar level is a condition that is affecting most individuals due to the increase in glucose levels in the blood. The condition can lead to the occurrence of risks that can be faced by the person which include worsening vision, stomach and intestinal problems and also the slow healing of wounds. However, the hyperglycemia condition can be naturally controlled by drinking a lot of water, eating a lot of vegetables, physical exercises and ensuring that the consumption of junk foods is limited to once in a week or two if none if possible. Therefore, the lifestyle behaviors of an individual can result in elevated blood sugar levels, but only the change of lifestyle that can only change the sugar levels to normal condition if the condition is naturally controlled by the use of the above stated means. References Cold, F., Health, E., Disease, H., Management, P., Conditions, S., & Problems, S. et al. (2017). Hyperglycemia and Diabetes. WebMD. Retrieved 10 May 2017, from http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/diabetes-hyperglycemia#1 Fratti, L. (2011). Diabetes: the real truth. Bloomington, In, Authorhouse. Hanas, R., & Fox, C. (2007). Type 2 diabetes in adults of all ages. London, Class Health. Magee, K. E., & Schneider, S. L. (2006). A.D.A.M. illustrated family health guide. Atlanta, GA, A.D.A.M. Mcardle, W. D., Katch, F. I., & Katch, V. L. (2006). Essentials of exercise physiology: student resource CD-ROM. Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Ousey, K., & Mcintosh, C. (2008). Lower extremity wounds: a problem-based learning approach. Chichester, West Sussex, England, John Wiley. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/concordiaab-ebooks/detail.action?docID=470307. Preedy, V. R. (2014). Handbook of nutrition, diet and the eye. Burlington, Elsevier Science. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1665626. Turner, N. (2012). The carb sensitivity program: discover which carbs will curb your cravings, control your appetite, and banish belly fat. Emmaus, Pa, Rodale. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=4690452. Appendices Elevated Blood Sugars 1 Have you ever been found to have high blood glucose (sugar) (for example, in a health examination, during an illness, during pregnancy)? a. Yes Smoking Do you currently smoke cigarettes or any other tobacco products on a daily basis? No Physical activity Do you do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week. No On average, would you say you do at least 2.5 hours of physical activity per week (for example, 30 minutes a day on 5 or more days a week)? No. This is because the normal activity that I count as a physical activity includes walking from work which is a distance of 4 km where I walk for 15 minutes. Nutrition Do you: Eat vegetables or fruit most days of the week? No Eat atleast 5 serves of vegetables every day? (F or example a serve is ½ cup cooked vegetables). or 1 cup of salad. No Have at least 2 serves of reduced fat milk, yoghurt, cheese or alternatives every day (for example, 1 slice of reduced fat cheese, a small tub of yoghurt etc Yes Eat mostly wholegrain cereals (such as high fibre breakfast cereal and wholemeal bread). Yes Eat at least a small serve of lean meat or chicken (fat and/or skin cut off) or fish, or eggs or some nuts or legumes (for example, lentils every day. No Drink plenty of water every day and limit drinks with added sugars, such as soft drinks, cordial, energy drinks and sports drinks. No Limit takeaway foods such as pizzas, commercial burgers, hot chips or other deep fried foods to once a week or less. Yes Limit store-bought cakes, muffins, pastries, pies and biscuits to once a week or less. No Limit salty foods like processed meats (for example, salami and bacon), crisps and salty snacks to once a week or less, and avoid adding salt during cooking or at the table. No How Much Caffeine Do You Consume Each Day? Virtually None. I don't drink coffee, tea or cola, and hardly ever eat chocolate. Only A Little. I have about a cup of coffee, tea or cola per day, or a moderate amount of chocolate. Some. I have 2-3 cups of coffee, tea or cola each day, or quite a bit of chocolate. A Lot. I have 4 or more cups of coffee, tea or cola. If I stopped drinking it, I would probably suffer withdrawal symptoms like headaches or intense cravings Mental Health How Much Sleep Do You Get Per Night, Or Combined With Naps? 8 or more hours around 7 hours around 6 hours Less than 6 hours Do You Have Anyone To Talk To About The Things In Your Life That Upset Or Stress You? a. Yes, I have a very supportive network of people I can count on for emotional support and assistance if I need it. b. Yes, I have one or two people in my life who really listen when I need to talk about something that are bothering me. c. No, not really. I have some superficial friendships, which cheer me up when I'm down and provide companionship, but we don't talk about deeper feelings. d. No, I really have no one to talk to about my feelings at all Alcohol consumption On a given day how many standard drinks do you consume? 2 or less BMI- Healthy Weight Calculate your BMI (Body mass index) by clicking on the link below: http://livelighter.com.au/tools-and-resources/calculate-your-risk Record your result and compare it to the following: Overweight = 25–29.9 VEGETABLE DIARY CONSUMPTION Monday- Garden Cress Tuesday –Pumpkin Wednesday- Spinach Thursday-Miner’s Lettuce Friday- Tomato Salad Saturday and Sunday, a repetition of any of the above can be done. EXERCISES PLAN On Monday up to Friday, exercises should be done in the evening from 5:30 pm up to 6:00 pm in the evening. On Saturday and Sunday, the exercises should be done in the morning from 8:30 am to 9:00 am in the morning. WATER CONSUMPTION PLAN From 10:00 am in the morning, a glass of water should be consumed each hour totaling to 8 glasses. JUNK FOODS COSUMPTION PLAN Consumed on Sunday after the 6: 00 pm exercise. Two glasses of water will be taken after their consumption Setting SMART GOALS Specific What do they really (specifically) want to achieve to enhance their health? Reducing the sugar levels in the blood to 80-130 mg/dl before meals and below 180 mg/dl after meals. What do they have to do? Eat vegetables and drink a lot of water while exercising at the same time How will they go about doing it? Having a diet plan and physical exercise schedule Who can help your friend or colleague to achieve their goal? Health expert Measurable How will you measure their progress? By measuring the blood levels before and after the meal Achievable (appealing also) How will you ensure that it happens? How inspiring is this goal? By communicating the importance of maintenance of normal blood sugar levels. It assures a healthy living which helps in avoiding other risks associated with elevated blood levels. Relevant (and realistic) Is this something that your friend can achieve? How realistic is this goal? Yes it is achievable. The goal is realistic as it just requires the individual to be disciplined in following the recommendations. Time specific (Ensure that this is set within the semester so that you can tack and record progress). When will your colleague/friend achieve this goal? Can it happen in the timeframe? After two months of following the recommendations. Yes. Evaluated (Have a valid measure, either short or long term) How will you know they have achieved it? By measuring their blood sugar level before and after the meal for one week after that period has expired. SMART GOAL By July 2017, through physical exercise and consumption of vegetables plus drinking a lot of water, the blood sugar levels of the group with elevated blood sugar levels will range from 80-130 mg/dl before meals and under 180 mg/dl after meals. Read More