History of Diabetes - Essay Example

"History of Diabetes" is an engrossing example of a paper on diabetes mellitus. Diabetes is a type of disease whereby the levels of blood glucose are beyond the normal. Most of the food eaten gets turned into sugar or glucose so that the body utilizes it for energy. A hormone known as insulin is made by the pancreas so facilitate the absorption of glucose into the body cells. Diabetes leads to the inability of the body to produce sufficient insulin or incapability of the body to utilize its insulin the way it ought to. This results in the buildup of excess sugar in the blood. Diabetes may lead to adverse health issues and complications such as blindness, heart disease, lower-extremity amputations, and kidney failure.

According to WHO (2011), diabetes has significant effects on the world today. By the year 2004, over 220 million persons were diagnosed with diabetes worldwide. The projection made by WHO suggests that deaths arising from diabetes will go up to twice the current statistics between the years 2004 and 2030. Statistics also show that about half of the deaths that occur as a result of diabetes are witnessed in the ages below 70 years.

Diabetes has adverse implications in society for instance, on the economic side, persons, families, countries, and health systems have to incur the expensive cost of treatment and medication. This leads to loss of income by individuals and families since the disease interferes with work. On the other hand, diabetes can lead to serious health implications such as death if not managed or treated in time. Diabetes comes in three types namely: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.

Causes of diabetes

Depending on the type of diabetes, there are varied causes as briefly discussed below.

Type 1 diabetes causes

This type used to be referred to as childhood-onset type and is characterized by the deficiency of insulin production in the body. Hitherto, its cause has not yet been established and with the current medical knowledge, it cannot be prevented.

Type 2 diabetes causes

This type used to be referred to as adult-onset type and is caused by the inability of the body to utilize insulin. Over 90% of the world's diabetes cases are a result of this type of diabetes (Wild, Roglic, et al 2004). In the recent past, this type of diabetes has been seen in children too. It is caused due to:

• Age (mostly above 50 years)
• Overweight and
• Family history of diabetes

Gestational diabetes causes

According to the CDC, this type of diabetes occurs during pregnancy and is caused when hyperglycemia has a blood glucose level that is above the normal although below the diagnosable in real diabetes. Pregnant women with this condition are predisposed to risks of complications both during the pregnancy phase and the delivery period. It is caused due to:

• Overweight
• Age (above 30 years)
• Family history of type 2
• Ethnic groups such as India, the Middle East, and the related communities

Symptoms of diabetes

Type 1 diabetes symptoms

The symptoms of this type of diabetes include:

• The constant passage of urine with cases of bedwetting
• Excessive hunger
• Blurred vision
• Constant thirst
• Fatigue
• Unexplained body weakness
• General weight loss
• Nausea and vomiting
• Vaginal discharge occasioned by itching.

Type 2 diabetes symptoms

The symptoms of this type of diabetes manifest gradually though many people with this type may not display any symptoms. However, common symptoms include:

• General tiredness
• Frequent passage of urine
• Frequent feeling of thirst
• Blurred vision
• Itching of genitalia area and other areas of the skin
• The slow rate of healing of infections
• Numbness of feet and hands and tingling

Gestational diabetes symptoms

This type of diabetes exudes the following major symptoms:

• General tiredness and weakness of the body
• Frequent passage of urine characterized by a frequent feeling of thirst
• Itching of genitalia area and other areas of the skin
• Numbness of feet and hands and tingling in pregnant women

Control and Treatment of diabetes

Control and treatment of Gestational diabetes

The treatment of this type of diabetes is regular exercise and healthy eating.

• Eat a wide range of food.
• Incorporate carbohydrate foods in each serving of a meal or snack such as cereals, multigrain bread, vegetables, and fruits.
• Eat regular and well-spaced snacks and meals with major and supplementary meals daily.
• Avoid too sugary drinks and foods.
• Drink plenty of water daily.
• Use low fats when cooking and methods that do not entail high fats.

                        Control and treatment of Type 1 diabetes

The treatment of type 1 diabetes seeks to undertake what a normally functioning body does in a natural sense. This is to maintain a balanced level of glucose and insulin in the body. Therefore control means ensuring that these three elements are controlled in a balanced state.

• Insulin
• Food
• Exercise

Control and treatment of Type 2 diabetes

This type of diabetes can be managed by controlling the glucose level in the blood depending on one’s health, age, and general lifestyle through:

• Healthy eating entails eating a balanced diet rich in vegetables and fruits and drinking a lot of water as advised by the dietician.
• Ensuring regular exercise such as walking, jogging or running during the day
• Insulin injections or tablets as prescribed by the physician

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is necessary to establish the symptoms of the different types of diabetes in time to allow for prompt treatment and control. Any delays in detection can be fatal and can also pose adverse effects both economically and health complications as discussed in this paper. It is also imperative to undertake preventive measures depending on the type of diabetes by healthy living and proper weight maintenance.

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