Imagine having to prick yourself with a needle every day for the rest of your life. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and 1 out of 3 adults end up being diagnosed with prediabetes. More than 29 million people in the United Sates have diabetes, but 8.1 million are undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. (Nichols 2017) Each year 1.4 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed and the number will continue to grow as time progresses.
According to the Dictionary diabetes, “is a disease in which the body’s ability to produce or respond to the hormone insulin is impaired, resulting in abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates and elevated levels of glucose in the blood and urine.” In the article, “Healthline” by Ann Pietrangelo which was also medically reviewed by Suzanne Falck acknowledges the importance of diabetes and how severe it can be.
Diabetes varies depending on your genetic makeup, family history, ethnicity, and health and environmental factors. Also, there is no common diabetes because that fit every type of diabetes. Many people often get confused when talking about diabetes because there are 2 types and gestational diabetes. Although type one and type two share the problem of high levels of blood sugar, gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. However, they are completely different diseases in many ways.
Type one diabetes also known as insulin- dependent diabetes is a chronic disease and it’s when the diabetes cells in the pancreas that makes insulin gets destroyed and the body is unable to make insulin. “Insulin is a hormone that helps your body’s cells use a natural sugar called glucose for energy.” (Rogers 2017) Diabetes is diagnosed through a series of test, because type one diabetes often develops quickly, people are diagnosed and tested if they have fasting blood sugar (>126), random blood sugar (>200), and hemoglobin A1c (>6.5). Having type one diabetes causes elevated blood sugar levels and causes both short- and long-term problems. The way your body obtains glucose is from the food you eat, therefore when you have diabetes you have to a snack regularly. Insulin is so important because without it the glucose wouldn’t be able to pass from the blood into your body cells. Also, your liver and muscle tissues store extra glucose and is only released when you need extra energy. Some example when it would be released would be in between meals, during exercise and when your sleeping. Having type one diabetes puts you at greater risk for numerous health complications such as, infection, kidney failure, and blindness.
There is no exact cause for type one diabetes, however it is thought to be an autoimmune disease. That is when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks beta cells in the pancreas, which are the cells that make insulin. Anyone at any age could be diagnosed with type one diabetes and with that being said it is neither preventable nor curable. Some triggers that are very important that may be involved when having type one diabetes are viral, or bacterial infection, chemical toxins within food, and unidentified component causing autoimmune reactions. Family history is also very important in this situation because if you have someone with type one diabetes, you’re at higher risk of getting it. According to Healthline it is more common for white individuals to get type one diabetes than any of the other races.
Some symptoms that may occur while having diabetes are excessive hunger, excessive thirst, blurry vison, fatigue, excessive urination, and dramatic weight loss in a short period of time. Some more advanced symptoms are stomach pain, rapid breathing, and vomiting. Having to deal with these symptoms isn’t easy and could negatively impact a person’s day. Often times you get weak and need a little snack to bring up your glucose levels. Also, symptoms often tend to get worse if there is no change in your lifestyle.
Type 2 diabetes on the other hand, which was previously known as adult – onset diabetes
also begins with insulin resistance. It can affect any age group but it is most common in middle –
aged and older people. Inactive and obese people are also at risk of developing this disease.
Studies have discovered that women and men have fairly different statistics when it comes to
how much the disease affects them. A study conducted in 2007 showed that “between 1971 and
2000, death rates fell for men with diabetes, while rates for women with the disease didn't budge.
Plus, while men with diabetes live 7.5 years less on average than those who don't have the
disease, among women the difference is even greater: 8.2 years.” (Gebel, 2011). The reason for
this gap is because the effects of diabetes show differently in men and women. For example,
people with diabetes, especially Type II, have a higher risk of getting heart disease but the
symptoms of this are usually less severe in women than men. While men might experience chest
pains, women might experience only shortness of breath or nausea and are therefore less likely to
seek treatment than men.
Diabetes affects insulin production in the body. “With type 2 diabetes, your body either
resists the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into your cells —
or doesn't produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level.” (Mayo Clinic Staff,
2016). Type II diabetes happens when the body rejects insulin or when the pancreas fails to
produce insulin. The reason why this happens is unclear, but there are some contributing factors
such as obesity and inactivity that lead to this. It also runs in families. “In general, if you have
type 2 diabetes, the risk of your child getting diabetes is 1 in 7 if you were diagnosed before age
50 and 1 in 13 if you were diagnosed after age 50.” It is harder to determine if one with a family
history develop it because of a high prevalence or because of their lifestyle.
Some symptoms of type II diabetes are, polyuria (excess urine), polydipsia (extreme
thirst), weight loss, blurred eyesight, tiredness, frequent infections, and slow healing sores. To
diagnose this disease, endocrinologists use a glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test, random blood
sugar test, fasting blood sugar test, and an oral glucose tolerance test.
A glycated hemoglobin test “indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. It measures the percentage of blood sugar attached to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. The higher your blood sugar levels, the more hemoglobin you'll have with sugar attached.” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). A random blood sugar test is when a blood sample is taken at a random time. “Blood sugar values are expressed in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L)” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). With this test, blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher suggests diabetes when coupled with symptoms such as polyuria and polydipsia. People are considered to have type II diabetes when their blood sugar levels surpass 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher on two separate tests. For an oral glucose tolerance test, “you fast overnight, and the fasting blood sugar level is measured. Then you drink a sugary liquid, and blood sugar levels are tested periodically for the next two hours.” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). If one has a blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher after two hours, it may indicate diabetes. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are the two more common diabetes, but there still ifs gestational diabetes.
Did you know 1 out of 10 women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes during their pregnancy? If a woman gets gestational diabetes, it can cause high blood pressure while pregnant. A women’s hormones produced and discharged by the placenta start to interfere with the body’s use of insulin which causes gestational diabetes. Beyond type 1 acknowledges the
symptoms of gestational diabetes and explain how to maintain them. A few symptoms are feeling hungry, thirsty more than necessary and feeling overtired with very little energy. You should always keep track of the symptoms you may be getting if you have gestational diabetes and report it to your doctor. Gestational diabetes is genetic. According to MedicineNet Melissa Conrad Stopplet, A woman can get gestational diabetes by having type two diabetes in the family. If you have gestational diabetes, a healthy diet would maintain nutrients and an acceptable number of calories. Try avoiding anything that has any excess sugars. Anything that has excess sugars in them can start to lead to weight gain which is a risk to gestational diabetes. Eating too much excess sugars can also make the symptoms worse. As hard as it can be, try avoiding fatty foods with a lot of carbohydrates.
A risk of gestational diabetes can be obesity, or once having prediabetes. During your pregnancy, your doctor will do a blood test which will determine whether or not you have gestational diabetes. In the article, Mayo Clinic -Gestational Diabetes refences that woman is usually tested during the 24-28 week of your pregnancy. If you have family members with diabetes, your doctor will test you earlier for gestational diabetes. You can also have a glucose test which will determine how well or bad your body uses glucose.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explained the process of when you’re getting tested for gestational diabetes. Typically, your doctor will have you drink a “syrupy glucose solution.” After an hour passes, your doctor will draw your blood. The results then show your glucose level. If you have a higher blood sugar, the higher the risk will be for you getting gestational diabetes. A glucose tolerance test will show if you have gestational diabetes or not. You’ll be officially diagnosed once you follow up with the glucose tolerance test. You will not be able to eat anything throughout the night. Afterwards your glucose level will be measured, then they’ll have you drink another syrupy glucose solution that just contains a higher amount of glucose. After every hour, you’ll check your glucose level for three hours straight. Once you get the results, if a least two are higher than normal, that’s when you’ll officially be diagnosed for gestational diabetes.
Treatment for those diagnosed with type of diabetes will need to check your glucose level daily (your blood sugar). You will also need to maintain a healthy diet. Exercising can be a major help as well. If you find that your blood sugar gets too high you may need to use some medication, which is typically insulin. It will help balance your blood sugar and make sure your blood sugar level is bac on track. Another medication is called Anti-Diabetic. Anti-Diabetic lowers your glucose level if it’s too high, and will help treat your gestational diabetes.
For those who suffer and are diagnosed with any of this diabetes have a hard time living.
Everyone is probably wondering how they can prevent themselves from getting diabetes. First off, type one diabetes is an autoimmune condition that cannot be prevented. According to Beyond Type 1 the author expresses, “While the cause is unknown, studies prove that genes together with an environmental trigger results in the immune system turning on itself and destroying the body’s beta cell.” Researchers have also been making progress in identifying the involvement of genes and triggering factors that prevent people from developing type one diabetes.
On the other hand, type two diabetes can be prevented and delay the onset of health complications. By maintaining your blood sugar, making healthy lifestyle changes such as exercise regularly, better choice of food, no smoking, limit alcohol, control blood pressure and take your prescribed medication. The Diabetes Prevention Program discovered some ways you can reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Some being losing five to seven percent of your starting weight, get at least thirty minutes of physical activity fives say a week, and eat smaller portions to reduce the number of calories a day. Also, you can get rid of two diabetes if you make changes to your lifestyle.
Have you ever had a family member with a medical issue, although it wasn’t severe you still found yourself worried. My mother was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a couple years ago. Type 2 diabetes isn’t as severe as Type 1 but when my mother had brought it to my family’s attention we all found ourselves in utter shock. Type 2 diabetes is a condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar. I still don’t understand how this could be, but the doctors reassured my mother that it wasn’t her fault. I did not want to be concerned because my mother wasn’t the type to get sick or have health issues. Overall, my mother was very healthy and a very active person. My mother told my siblings and I not to be concerned everything would be alright as long as she continued to take her medicine the doctor prescribed the right way and tried to be more active when possible.
Things started to become different in my house, as I watched my mother on the weekends not want to get out of bed do to her exhaustion. She tried her best some days to be more active like she uses to be but some days she didn’t have the strength. My mother would express to me that she would take her medication the way she was supposed to and everything would be just fine, but the truth is nothing really changed she was still her. Although It would make me very upset because I wish she’d have the strength to be active the way she wants to be and I know she was just being strong for us. Having to change your lifestyle isn’t always easy but it was for the better so she could get better. I love my mom with every piece of me and her health is always that something that will matter to me.
In conclusion, finding out you have diabetes or any other medical issue may not always be a bad thing it can teach you to live a healthier lifestyle, stay fit and become more active. My mom having diabetes impacted my family in some negative ways but also positive ways such as striving to eat better and stay fit. One thing I can say is never give up on yourself because your health is what’s most important. If you ever feel any of the symptoms I listed earlier, but be afraid to get tested because remember 8.1 million people out of 29.1 are undiagnosed and unaware of their condition when it comes to diabetes.