Health Sciences - Pre Diabetes - Essay Example

Pre Diabetes In the normal body physiology, the balance of the sugar level in the body must be maintained within certain threshold. The balance is necessary because if it ceases, certain medical conditions occur, diabetes is one of them (Gottlieb, 2004). Before diabetes is fully diagnosed, pre-diabetes occurs. Pre-diabetes is a condition in which the body indicates that the sugar level in the blood has surpassed the normal level though still there is no development of symptoms indicating diabetes (Gottlieb, 2004). This condition is also known as the borderline, this is in the sense that the individual shows neither the presence of diabetes nor absence of diabetes. In the food substances that we consume, there are elements of glucose. The glucose levels in the blood are checked by another hormone in the blood called insulin. Insulin is responsible for converting the excess sugar (glucose) in the blood to glycogen (Gottlieb, 2004). The same happens when the body experiences low blood sugar level in which the stored glycogen is discharged back into the blood to elevate the sugar level to normalcy. Diabetes or pre-diabetes condition arises when insulin is not produced in the right quantities in the body or when the insulin effectiveness is hampered and does not function fully (Gottlieb, 2004). The pre diabetes condition does not conform to all the conditions and factors that lead to the conclusion that an individual is diabetic or not. With regard to this, those diagnosed with pre-diabetes condition are at higher risks of not only developing diabetes type II but also some other related cardiovascular condition (Metcalf & Metcalf, 2008). The condition of pre-diabetes is also referred to as ‘grey area’. In America, this condition has been surveyed among the citizens and the prevalence and incidence noted, to some extent it has been referred to as an epidemic. It affects almost 57 million people in America (Metcalf, & Metcalf, 2008). The development of the pre-diabetes condition is largely attributed to some of the lifestyle, hence, referred to as lifestyle condition. The life style conditions include the kind of diet we consume - if the diet is having too much glucose it translates, then that there will be more sugar being discharged in blood requiring much more efficient way of conversion to glycogen (Metcalf & Metcalf, 2008). Sedentary lifestyle is also a recipe for the development of the condition. Leading a sedentary lifestyle indicates that not much energy is used for respiration, thus, there is accumulation of the glucose in the body and can accelerate the development of the condition. Too much consumption of alcohol also damages the liver making it inefficient in the production of insulin, a substance that is requires for the conversion of the excess glucose in blood to glycogen (Metcalf & Metcalf, 2008). Tests for monitoring pre Diabetes Monitoring of the condition is essential for people who have developed pre-diabetes condition have to attend a regular monitoring test of their blood sugar to ensure that the critical condition is not hit. Monitoring of the blood sugar can be done in several ways: first of all, HbA1c (A1C or glycosylated hemoglobin test), when this test is run, the level of the blood sugar is noted in a snapshot and the concentration of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) denotes the level of blood sugar in the body (Gregg, Callaghan & Hayes 2007, 123). Home monitoring is also available and it seems to be the cheapest, the only problem is how to categorize the extent of blood sugar; whether high or low. The results of the home test are to be discussed with a physician for further insightful recommendations. Benefits of exercise in the prevention of pre-diabetes Involving in the exercise daily is helpful in the burning calories, when the calories are burned, the concentration of glucose in the blood is reduces. The effect of exercise in relation to diabetes type II has been studied and the findings have it that 58% of those who shows pre-diabetes do not develop diabetes if they involve in the rigorous exercise. The exercise is rated to take at least 30 min daily (Gregg, Callaghan & Hayes 2007, 144). Exercising is also known to be beneficial in the sense that it helps in reduction of the body weight which ultimately helps in the elevation of the insulin sensitivity. Regular exercise is also beneficial in the sense that it makes those with diabetes condition not to develop other related cardio muscular conditions like the heart diseases. Heart diseases are arguably the number one cause of deaths in the US. Doing exercise is, thus, beneficial in that it strengthens the heart muscles and enables the blood pressure to normalize. Involving in exercises also induces the ‘good cholesterol’ which is the driving of the cholesterol out of the body instead of depositing them within the arterial wall causing thickening and hardening of the wall and this culminates into high blood pressure (Ritchie 2006, 111). Managing exercise can also help psychologically and this is what is referred to as ‘exercise high’, exercise releases endorphins which brings about the effect of diffused anxiety, regulation of the appetite, jovial mood, and enhance relaxation. The effects of pre-diabetes to full diabetes Chances are that one can easily develop diabetes from pre-diabetes. In the event that diabetes is developed the patient will have to observe some salient features involving physiological imbalance. The signs and symptoms of diabetes vary. Symptoms are those changes that can be observed and felt by the patient; signs, on the other hand, involve all those changes that cannot be observed by the patient but by a medical specialist. One of the signs of diabetes is neuropathy; this is the damages that occur in the peripheral nerves of the body. The damage in neuropathy in this regard is referred to as peripheral neuropathy. The condition of neuropathy arises due to the damage of the axons of the nerve cells. When one suffers from neuropathy, they do feel pain and numbness in the feet and hands (Ritchie 2006, 189). The cause of neuropathy is always attributed to toxin exposure, disorders due to metabolic malfunctions and in this case diabetes is one of the causes of neuropathy. Neuropathy causes malfunction of the nerves that control the agility of the muscles and at the same time make the body not to be sensitive to coldness and touch. In the United States alone, the number of individuals who suffer from neuropathy is around 20 million (Taylor 2008, 156). Neuropathy is classified into three classes: mononeurophathy - this is when the disorder involves just a single nerve, e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome, multiple monneuropathy – this involves at least two nerves that are individually affected, and polyneuropathy which is a generalized impairment of the peripheral nerve system and one of the conditions that arises due to this is Guillain-Barre syndrome (Taylor 2008, 172) The risk of developing neuropathy is brought by many factors, if one is suffering for any of the diseases that brings about suppression of the immune system is at the risk of contacting the disorder. In this case, AIDS is one of the diseases that can initiate the same. Those who suffer from lupus and arthritis are also at risk of developing neuropathy disorder. Too much consumption of alcohol, as well as the deficiency of vitamin B, can catalyses the development of the condition. Disorders due thyroid, liver, and kidney disorders are also known to cause neuropathy. Other signs and symptoms that arise due to diabetes include frequent urination; patient with diabetes have the tendency to visit the toilet frequently due to the fact that the sugar level in blood is high and will through osmosis filter water molecules from the rest of the body and through infiltration in kidney, the bladder gets filled and this is what initiates too much urination. Close to this is the thirst; the patient develops thirst frequently due to the fact that the body is deprived of the water by the high concentration of sugar level in blood (Clark 2004, 78). There is also loss of weight associated with diabetes, this is because the cells fails to get the energy since the glucose in the blood do not get into the cells due to the inability of the body to produce enough insulin to convert the excess glucose into the body to glycogen, the form that can e utilized by the cells to satisfy and drive the physiological needs. In this regard, the body resorts to utilize the reserved fats and carbohydrate sin the body and this culminates into the reduction of the body mass (Clark 2004, 98). In conclusion, pre-diabetes is a medical condition that informs that an individual chance of developing diabetes is high. It also shows that one is vulnerable to some other cardiovascular condition that arises due to poor lifestyle with regard to food consumption and the extent with which one exercises. Medical conditions have show a rapid prevalence in countries like the US and Saudi Arabia and the government efforts to have the menace curbed out is impacting a toll in the government expenditure. References Clark, M. (2004). Understanding diabetes. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons. Gregg, J., Callaghan, G. M. & Hayes, S. C. (2007). Diabetes lifestyle book: facing your fears & making changes for a long & healthy life. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. Gottlieb, P. A. (2004). Type I diabetes. Philadelphia: Saunders. Metcalf, T. & Metcalf, G. (2008). Diabetes. Detroit: Thomson/Gale. Ritchie, N. (2006). The effects of anger and family history on the development of prediabetes. New York, N.Y.: Wiley. Taylor, H. (2008). Prediabetes and hydroxychloroquine slowing the progression to diabetes mellitus II. New York, NY: SAGE Publications. Read More