Clinical Manifestation of Diabetes - Term Paper Example

Nursing al Affiliation) Diabetes Diabetes consists of a group of diseases with a variety of causes that are sometimes due to people’s lifestyle. Diabetes is a metabolism disorder that results from using food stores especially carbohydrates in the body to produce energy. The alimentary canal digests food and breaks it down into carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Digestion of carbohydrate affects the blood glucose level in the body because they release glucose, which enters the blood stream. With the help of insulin a hormone in the blood, glucose undergoes regulation in order to maintain its normal levels. Diabetes results from the body not being able to produce enough glucose or the inability of the body to use the insulin efficiently. Insulin transfers glucose from blood into the cells for use hence when the glucose level increase in the blood diabetes sets in (Stehouwer & Schaper, 2009). The beta cells of pancreas that is an organ located just below the stomach work to produce insulin hormone. There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes results from failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin into the blood stream. Type 1 diabetes can either result from the pancreas producing less insulin or the insulin from the pancreas being ineffective. This results in accumulation of the glucose in blood. Starvation of the body cells off energy causes diabetes type 2. Normal glucose levels vary with time before eating (fasting levels), random levels, and tolerance test levels of glucose. Blood glucose level during fasting range from 80-90mg/dl, random blood sugar levels range between 80-139mg/dl while the glucose tolerance levels also range between 80-139mg/dl hence blood sugar increases because of the glucose being out of the ranges (Stehouwer & Schaper, 2009). Type 1 diabetes is more of a genetic condition while type 2 is due to lack of physical activity and obesity among other life style living. Clinical manifestation The clinical manifestations of diabetes vary depending on the type of diabetes. However, they exhibit some common signs and symptoms, for example excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, increased fatigue, and unusual weight loss. Classification can also be according to the level of diabetes in that in the cause of hypoglycemia, which is low glucose level in the blood the clinical manifestations include: shaking, sweating, dizziness, anxious, fast heart rate, hunger, weakness, impaired vision, fatigue, and headaches. In the case of hyperglycemia which is the increase of glucose level in the blood due to lack of its transfer in to the cells, sign and symptoms include; extreme thirst, dry skin, drowsiness, impaired wound healing, hunger and frequent urination (Stehouwer & Schaper, 2009). Diabetes mortality and morbidity rates The morbidity of diabetes in the world is approximately 382 million persons. This represents 8.3% of the people in the world. The higher prevalence of diabetes is in North America and the Caribbean where 36,755 people have the disease. The west pacific regions are the leading regions with a high diabetes prevalence of 8.6% almost same as that of the world. Africa is the continent with the lowest prevalence of diabetes at 4.9% (Stehouwer & Schaper, 2009). Research indicates that cases of diabetes receive little recognition as the cause of deaths in the world. 30% to 40% of people with the diagnosis of diabetes have diabetes written as the cause of their death while another 10%- 15% have diabetes as the underlying cause to their death. Diabetes has also been listed as the seventh leading cause of death in the United States of America back in 2010 with 234,051 death certificates listed down. Treatment of diabetes Treatment of diabetes is done through two ways; pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment Non- pharmacological treatment 1. Dietary management Dietary management focuses on accomplishing the ideal body weight and helps to reduce the complications of diabetes. Dietary management is a process that is flexible, continuous and focuses on an individual. The caloric intake of a patient already with diabetes first depends on the person’s physical activity and nutritional status. A normal caloric intake is around 500Kcal, which is a normal range, but this may vary depending on the patient’s body ratio and physical activity. The main source of carbohydrates for the patient must be cereals, salads, and whole grains. Patients must acquire proteins from low fat milk and milk products, and from the vegetables. A nurse must prescribe fiber rich foods for the patient from whole grains and green leafy vegetables because fiber helps in digestion of other foods and for easy excretion of fecal matter. The patient or nurse must include 1-2 servings of fruits in the diet layout because; fruits are helpful in providing vitamin C that is important in formation of insulin even though very sugary fruits are risky (Stehouwer & Schaper, 2009). 2. Physical activity This management is favors patients with diabetes type 2. A nurse recommends exercise or physical activity in a stepwise manner in-order for the patients to adapt gradually to them. Regular exercises keep the patient physically fit. 30 to 60 minutes of exercise is ideal for the patient and the exercise must be one that the patient enjoys and has consent because this will aid in avoiding stressful experience that aggravates diabetes. The importance of physical activity is to help in increasing insulin sensitivity, increase in the state of mental and physical wellbeing, cardiovascular improvement, a reduction in weight and an improvement of lipid cholesterol helps to decrease the body weight hence less sugars will be required by the body cells (Stehouwer & Schaper, 2009). 3. Stress management Institution of a holistic nursing care is important in reducing the amount of stress in diabetic patient. Behavior modification, coping skills, healthy working conditions and optimal family support helps to develop a healthy life style and positive attitudes to the patient. 4. Life style modification Life style modification is the most important way of managing diabetes. Modifications such as a reduction in alcohol consumption, a reduction in smoking is very important because it will help in increasing the chances of good adherence to the diabetes drugs. In-order to avoid the fluctuation of glucose in the blood of a patient, water, and tea are preferred more and avoidance of sugary drinks advised. In cooking good oil fats found in vegetables and nuts are preferred more than those polyunsaturated fats, this is because polyunsaturated fats can affect the occurrence of diabetes. Pharmacological treatment Currently there is no actual drug treatment for diabetes whatsoever but there exists drugs that are in use to manage the disease progression. 1. Oral anti-diabetic drugs Regulation of glucose in the blood is by its absorption into the body cells. These types of drugs work to modify the factors that help in controlling hyperglycemia. There are those drugs that work on beta cells of the pancreas to increase insulin release. Examples include chlorpropamide and Glimepiride (Stehouwer & Schaper, 2009). 2. Insulin therapy This type of therapy is the administration of insulin shots or insulin realizing tablets to the patients. It is given to people with a fasting blood sugar of more than 270mg/dl and it also eligible to people with infection in diabetes and also younger than 30 years old patient with symptomatic hyperglycemia (Stehouwer & Schaper, 2009). Evidence based practice Evidence based practice in diabetes involves the care of a diabetic foot. Most diabetic patients suffer foot ulceration and the best care is to give proper education on foot care. Instead of amputation of the leg, foot care helps keep the patient off pain and to boost the patient’s recovery because amputation has shown to increase mortality rates in diabetes. Consideration for nursing professional The treatment of the diabetic foot is important in nursing profession because it helps prevent the treatment of the amputation scar and in turn facilitates the care of the ulcer on the foot. There would be a reduction in mortality and morbidity and this helps to increase the life span of the diabetic patient (Stehouwer & Schaper, 2009). References Stehouwer, C., & Schaper, N. (2009). Diabetes. Oxford: Clinical Pub. Read More