The Prevalence of Diabetes, Its Causes, Effects, and How to Prevent It - Coursework Example

Diabetes Diabetes Introduction Diabetes is a disorder that develops when the body of a person fails to produce sufficient insulin and use it efficiently to produce energy. The disease may develop in the body during childhood or during adulthood when the body of a person has developed completely. The disorder is caused by genetic factors that are inheritable, and it may also be a result of improper human lifestyle, obesity, lack of exercise, and environment. Diabetes is common in almost all parts of the world, but the World Health Organization has declared it a disaster in the United States where it leads to the death of around 70,000 people every year (Colbert, 2012). Diabetes causes numerous problems in the victims who acquire it; for example, it leads to obesity, heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure (McFarlane, & Bakris, 2012). The prevalence of diabetes may be reduced using methods such as frequent testing and diagnosis and change of lifestyle, especially the diet. This paper will analyze the prevalence of diabetes, its causes, effects, and how to prevent it now and in future. Incidence and prevalence patterns of diabetes The International Diabetes Federation statistics indicates that there are over 382 million people who suffer from diabetes in the world. The institution also argues that of these 382 million people who suffer from diabetes, 80% of them live in low and medium income countries (Mahmood, & Arulkumaran, 2013). A high number of these individuals are also between 40 and 59 years, and most of them suffer from Type 2 Diabetes. The WHO organization statistics of 2013 also indicate that Type 1 Diabetes accounts for 10% of all the cases in the world while Type 2 accounts for 90% of the cases (Ford-martin, & Baker, 2013). This means that there is a high probability of a person who is tested with diabetes to have Type 2 of the disease. These figures also indicate that health practitioners should concentrate on finding the causes and cures of Type 2 Diabetes because it has been proven to be a killer disease. The World Health Organization postulates that 8.3% of the population of the United States, which consists of 26 million individuals, suffers from the disorder (Peters, Laffel, & ADA, 2013). However, the organization argues that around 7 million of these people are unaware that they have the disorder. The statistics also indicate that at least 1.9 million citizens of the US are diagnosed with diabetes annually. 90% of these people are between 20 and 64 years while 10% of them are 65 years and above (Colbert, 2012). These figures indicate that the United States is highly prone to diabetes, and it means that health practitioners in the country have to take action before the situation becomes worse. The American Association of Diabetes indicates that if health practitioners fail to act and prevent the current trends of diabetes from prevailing in the country, 79 million citizens of the US will have acquired the disease by 2050 (Peters, Laffel, & ADA, 2013). Therefore, in order to prevent this devastating situation, the whole population of the US and the world at large needs to be enlightened about the causes of the disease, its effects, and methods of prevention. Etiology of the disease The etiology of diabetes 1 and 2 differ because of the variation in the processes that are involved. This means that a discussion of the etiology of the diseases needs separation so that the reader can understand the two disorders. Diabetes 1 is caused by a process known as the autoimmune process that takes place in the body. The autoimmune process takes place when the autoimmune system begins to destroy cells and tissues in the body. The process destroys mainly the β cells, which are found in the pancreas (McFarlane, & Bakris, 2012). These cells play a major role of producing insulin in the pancreas, and when they are destroyed, it means that they become incapable of producing enough of the product. Researchers argue that the process of destroying the β cells is faster in children more than in adults (Ford-martin, & Bakers, 2013). This explains the reason why Type 1 diabetes is more common in children and adolescents than in adults. Individuals who suffer from Type 1 diabetes exhibit symptoms, which include loss of weight, high rates of fatigue even when they do not undertake tiring duties, high rates of urine excretion, prolonged hunger, and thirst. Researchers argue that these symptoms may be sudden in individuals meaning that they take a short time to develop (Colbert, 2012). The cause of Type 2 diabetes, which is more common than Type 1, is not definite as argued by researchers. The lack of specificity in the cause of the disorder occurs because individuals who acquire it exhibit varying symptoms. Researchers argue that some individuals who suffer from Type 2 diabetes lack sufficient insulin that digests sugar to produce energy. Other individuals usually have sufficient insulin in their blood, but their bodies resist (Mahmood, & Arulkumaran, 2013). The resistance towards insulin leads to the production of less than sufficient energy in the body of the victim. Researchers argue that despite the lack of a clear cause of Type 2 diabetes, there is a high likelihood that the genetic make-up of their bodies plays a major role in causing the disease to develop (Peters, Laffel, & ADA, 2013). The fact that numerous of the individuals who are diagnosed with this disorder are obese indicates that obesity is another main cause of the disease. The symptoms that are associated with Type 2 diabetes include thirst, excess urine excretion, recurring skin infections, weight loss, obesity, and extreme fatigue (McFarlane, & Bakris, 2012). This indicates that the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are similar to those of Type 1. Health practitioners must, therefore, test individuals to determine the type of diabetes that they suffer from. Researchers argue that although the symptoms of the two disorders are similar, those of Type 2 diabetes develop gradually (Ford-martin, & Baker, 2013). This means that an individual may live with Type 2 diabetes for a long time without knowing that they have the disease. Diseases associated with the disease process Diabetes leads to various social and psychological problems in victims who are diagnosed with the disorder. The main consequence of the disease is that it exposes the victims to other disorder that include heart disease, kidney failure, nerve disorder, and blindness (Colbert, 2012). The American Association of diabetes argues that victims of diabetes are four times likely to suffer from heart disease or stroke. This is because diabetes destroys the cardiovascular system exposing it to heart problems. The association specifically states that around 75% of the individuals who suffer from diabetes die because of a heart disease (Mahmood, & Arulkumaran, 2013). Therefore, health practitioners should diagnose diabetes victims with heart disease to prevent them from dying from heart attacks. Diabetes also causes blindness of the eyes because of the swelling and leaking of retina, which consists of the blood vessels that reside at behind the eyes. The swelling and leaking of the retina is caused by high blood pressure that is common in diabetes patients. In fact, the WHO argues that at least 1% of the blind acquire their disability as a result of diabetes (Peters, Laffel, & ADA, 2013). Another effect of diabetes is that it destroys body nerves leading to effects such as numbness of hands and feet, sweating, and lack of stimulation in the penis and the clitoris during sex. The damage of nerves in the body also leads to effects such as indigestion, vomiting, and diarrhea (Colbert, 2012). Social and Psychological Effects of Diabetes Victims of diabetes also have to incur high costs of diagnosis. Researchers indicate that on average, patients of diabetes live with the disease for twenty five years. During this period, the victims of the disease spend around $175,000 to $250, 000 on undergoing insulin treatment and diagnosis of other disorders such as heart disease and kidney failure (McFarlane, & Bakris, 2012). If health practitioners fail to address the disorder early, the cost of diagnosing it may rise because health insurance companies may increase the monthly health premiums. This is because these companies fear that the disease may affect numerous people at the same time leading to the increase in number of individuals who are compensated at the same time (Colbert, 2012). Diabetes also affects individuals emotionally and psychologically because it triggers the feeling of fear, anger, depression, and embarrassment. Individuals with the disorder may also develop the feeling of denial when they fail to accept that they suffer from diabetes. This leads to depression, which triggers high blood pressure (Peter, Laffel, & ADA, 2013). Victims of the disorder may finally die, and this causes unhappiness and poverty in families where the victim was the bread winner. The next section of this paper will focus on the methods of preventing the disease when it is caused by lack of exercise, obesity, and the environment. This is because these causes are caused by the behavior and lifestyle of human beings, and this can be changed. The prevention of the disease is essential because there is no specific cure for diabetes. The section will also deal with the treatment methods uses to address Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Prevention methods Diabetes may be prevented by first educating the society about the disease. This is because when citizens are aware of the causes and effects of the disorder, they may opt to prevent it rather than waiting to be diagnosed and treated with the disease (Ford-martin, & Baker, 2013). The education of the public about the disease takes place in rallies that are organized by institutions that deal with the disease. During the campaigns, individuals will be enlightened about the available methods of prevention that they can use to protect their bodies from diabetes. The first method of preventing the disorder is undertaking exercise frequently. Individuals need to perform intensive exercise at least half an hour every day to ensure that their metabolic systems are active. The performance of exercise reduces the likelihood of gaining excess weight, which may lead to obesity (Mahmood, & Arulkumaran, 2013). Exercise also reduces the probability of acquiring high blood pressure that is associated with diabetes. Another strategy of maintaining high health is eating foods that consist of vegetables and fruits while avoiding those that are made up of high amounts of fats and sugars. Fruits and vegetables help in increasing the immunity of bodies enabling them to fight diseases such as diabetes (Colbert, 2012). The low intake of sugars and fats also protects the body from high blood pressure and excess weight. Education also helps individuals to discover that smoking and consuming too much alcohol causes diabetes. Therefore, through education, the public will learn that these behaviors devastate their health by exposing them to diabetes and cancer. The campaigns encourage the public to refrain from consuming these products by taking part in beneficial activities such as developing hobbies, working, and engaging in community projects. The World Health Organization conducts campaigns to enlighten the public about diabetes. The organization has set 14th November as a day of spreading messages about diabetes and encouraging people to be tested so that they can control the disease at an early stage (Ford-martin, & Baker, 2013). Treatment Methods Individuals who have the disorder are treated with oral and insulin medication. Type 1 diabetes is the one that is treated with insulin because it is caused by the inadequacy of the enzyme in the blood. Insulin medication enables their bodies to process the sugar in the blood to produce energy. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is treated with oral medication (Colbert, 2012). This is because the disorder is caused by the resistance of the body towards insulin that is already sufficient in the body. Conclusion Diabetes is a disease of the blood that is caused by the inadequacy of insulin in the blood. The disorder also develops when the insulin in the blood is incapable of breaking down all the sugar in the blood to produce energy. The diabetes that is caused by insufficient insulin is known as Type 1; while the one that is caused by inefficiency of the enzyme is known as Type 2. The process of developing Type 1 diabetes is known as autoimmune while that of Type 2 does not have a specific name because researchers have not yet identified a specific cause of the disease. The symptoms of the two disorders are similar, and they include frequent urination, thirst, fatigue, weight loss, and frequent hunger. The symptoms develop rapidly when an individual suffers from Type 1 while they develop gradually when Type 2 diabetes is involved. Diabetes may be prevented by exercising the body, consuming healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, and refraining from alcohol and cigarette smoking. The victims of Type 1 diabetes may be cured through insulin administration while those with Type 2 are treated with oral medication that helps the available insulin to perform its function efficiently. References Colbert, D. (2012). Reversing diabetes. Lake Mary: Siloam. Ford-Martin, P., & Baker, J. (2013). The everything guide to managing type 2 diabetes. Massachusetts: Adams media. Mahmood, T., & Arulkumaran, S. (2013). Obesity: A ticking time bomb for reproductive health. Oxford: Elsevier. McFarlane, S. I., & Bakris, G. L. (2012). Diabetes and hypertension: Evaluation and management. New York: Springer. Peters, A. L., Laffel, L., American Diabetes Association. (2013). American Diabetes Association/JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Sourcebook. Alexandria: American Diabetes Association. Read More